Decoding The Role Of Automatic Landing Sequence In Chandrayaan-3's Success
The Chandrayaan-3 mission completed its base objective yesterday after achieving a soft-landing on the Moon. This historic moment made India the first country to land near the lunar south pole and the fourth country ever to land on the Moon after the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China.
The Chandrayaan-3 Lander Module (LM) consisted of the lander Vikram and the rover Pragyan that is now roaming on the lunar surface to conduct experiments for the next 13 days before its life-cycle ends.
What is an automatic landing sequence?
The achievement was made possible through an Automatic Landing Sequence (ALS). When the ALS command was sent to the Lander Module, it throttled its engines for a controlled descent onto the lunar surface. The sequential execution of pre-set commands was observed by the ISRO team in Bengaluru, India.
The commands for triggering the Automatic Landing Sequence were uploaded to the Lander Module via Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) facility a few hours before the scheduled soft-landing was attempted.
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An automatic landing sequence is essentially a predefined set of actions that are programmed into a spacecraft's guidance and control systems to ensure a safe and precise landing, as was the case with Chandrayaan-3 as well. Real-time control by humans can be challenging with far-off locations like the Moon due to the communication delay.
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The spacecraft's onboard computer systems use tools like sensors and cameras along with data from previous mapping missions to figure out its precise location. The ALS is activated at a particular altitude based on the spacecraft's goals and requirements.
Helping Chandrayaan-3 land on the Moon
At the altitude of 30 kilometers from the Moon's surface, the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft entered its powered braking phase wherein four thruster engines were "retro fired" to slowly reduce its speed and preventing a crash that befell the fate of Chandrayaan-2.
About 6.8 kilometres above the surface, two engines were shut off and two were in operation. This manoeuvre helped the lander gain reverse thrust for a successful landing. Between the altitude of 100-150 metres, the spacecraft used its sensors and cameras to scan the surface for possible obstructions, after which a soft-landing was achieved.
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Usually, after soft-landing, the same sequence also deploys the rover and other scientific equipment. It also includes initiating communication with mission control, as seen in Chandrayaan-3. The specifics of each ALS depend on a spacecraft's design, sensors and instruments, and the mission's objectives.
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