What Are Chandrayaan-3's Payloads And Their Moon Missions?
India's third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3 is expected to attempt landing on August 23 at 6.04 PM IST. This is a mission-of-its-kind as no country has managed to successfully probe the Moon's south pole because of its tricky terrain.?
However, scientists are particularly intrigued by this region because it could be home to ice that may be later used to extract water, oxygen, and fuel for future crewed missions to the Moon. The primary goals of the Chandrayaan-3 mission are to demonstrate safe and soft landing on the lunar surface, to demonstrate rover roving on the Moon, and to conduct in-situ scientific experiments.
If all goes well, India will become only the fourth country in the world to successfully land on the Moon, after the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China.
What will Chandrayaan-3 do on the Moon?
The Chandrayaan-3's lander module consists of a lander called Vikram and a rover called Pragyan. The lander payloads include Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE), Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA), Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA) Rover, and Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA).?
ChaSTE will take measurements of properties like thermal conductivity and temperatures of elements on the lunar surface near the south pole. ILSA will study the seismicity around the landing site and will help scientists understand the structure of the lunar crust and mantle. RAMBHA will probe the gas and plasma environment of the lunar surface.
With a mission life of one lunar day (14 Earth days), the lander module weighs 1,752 kilograms and has a power generation capacity of 738 Watts.
Also read:?Explained: As Chandrayaan-3 Prepares To Land, Why Are Space Agencies Targeting Moon's South Pole?
The rover has two payloads - the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS), and the Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS). APXS will study the elemental composition of the lunar soil and rocks around the landing site. These elements include aluminum, potassium, magnesium, silicon, titanium, iron, and calcium.
This is where LIBS come in. It will analyse the elements to get a better understanding of the chemical and mineral composition of the lunar surface.
Also read:?Chandrayaan-3's Journey To The Moon: A Timeline Of India's Third Lunar Mission
The rover weighs 26 kilograms and has a power generation capacity of 50 Watts. The lander will land on the Moon's surface with a horizontal velocity of less than 0.5 metre per second and a vertical velocity of less than two metres per second, and a slope of less than 120 degrees.
A passive Laser Retroreflector Array from NASA is also accommodated for lunar laser ranging studies, ISRO claims.??
Why Moon's South Pole?
The Moon's poles are in complete darkness, making them a unique subject of scientific enquiry. The pole is expected to host water molecules in the form of ice. Owing to this complete darkness, water may have managed to survive in this region of the Moon.
Based on previous observations, scientists have stated that there are potential water-ice reserves beneath the Moon's surface. Ancient water ice could also provide a record of lunar volcanoes, material that comets and asteroids delivered to Earth, and the origin of oceans.
Also read:?ISRO Chandrayaan-3 Soft Landing: Date, Time And Where To Watch; Check Details
Besides acting as a source of drinking water, water ice on Moon could help keep equipment cool. It could also be broken down to create hydrogen for fuel and oxygen to breathe.?
The South Pole is a tricky region, owing to its craters and deep trenches. But if all goes well, India could create history with its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft later today.
What do you think about Chandrayaan-3's goals? Let us know in the comments below.?For more in the world of?technology?and?science, keep reading?Indiatimes.com.??
