Context: 

Recently, ISRO’s (Indian Space Research Organisation) Chandrayaan 3 lander has successfully made a soft landing on the lunar surface.

More on News:

• Chandrayaan-3 is India’s third lunar mission as well as second attempt to achieve a soft landing of a robotic lander on the moon’s surface.
• India has become the fourth country to soft land on the Moon after the United States, the erstwhile Soviet Union, and China and the first to touch down near the lunar south pole.

From Lunar Orbit to the Lunar Surface:

Deboosting:

• It  is the process of slowing down the Chandrayaan-3 lander “Vikram” to position it in an orbit around the Moon where the closest point to the Moon (Perilune) is 30 kilometers and the farthest point (Apolune) is 100 kilometers.

Mission Experiment: Chandrayaan 3:

• The lander has four experiments on board.
  • The Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA) will study the electrons and ions near the surface of the moon and how they change over time.
  • The Chandra’s Surface Thermo physical Experiment (ChaSTE) will study the thermal properties of the lunar surface near the polar region. 
  • The Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) will measure the lunar quakes near the landing site and study the composition of the Moon’s crust and mantle.
  • The LASER Retroreflector Array (LRA) is a passive experiment sent by NASA that acts as a target for lasers for very accurate measurements for future missions.
• There are two scientific experiments on the rover.
  • The LASER Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) will determine the chemical and mineral composition of the lunar surface.
  • The Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) will determine the composition of elements such as magnesium, aluminium, silicon, potassium, calcium, titanium, and iron in the lunar soil and rocks.

ISRO’s Space Journey: Satellites, Launch Vehicles, and Planetary Exploration

• ISRO’s Satellite Programs: 
  • Aryabhata (1975): ISRO’s journey began with the launch of Aryabhata in 1975.
    • Aim: To conduct experiments in X-ray astronomy, aeronomics, and solar physics.

• • Bhaskar-1 (1979) and Bhaskar-2 (1981): It laid the foundation for the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) Satellite system, revolutionizing land-based applications. 
  • INSAT-2A (1992):  Indian National Satellite System (INSAT), a series of multipurpose geostationary satellites that aimed to meet the telecommunications, broadcasting, meteorology, and search and rescue needs of India.
  • KALPANA-1 (2002):  It was the first in the series of exclusive meteorological satellites built by ISRO.
  • IRNSS-1A (2013): Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) or NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) is India’s first dedicated navigation satellite.

• Launch Vehicle Programmes: 
  • US Nike Apach (1963): India launched the US Nike Apache ‘sounding rocket’ from Thumba, near Thiruvananthapuram. 
    • Sounding rockets are suborbital rockets that carry experiments to the upper atmosphere of the Earth.
  • SVL-3 (1980): The first Indian launch vehicle succeeded, placing the Rohini-1 satellite in space. India joined the ranks of space-faring nations.
  • Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV (1992): ASLV achieved its first successful launch after initial failures.
  • Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (1994): PSLV achieved its maiden successful launch, marking India’s entry into the league of launching bigger payloads, up to 1,000 kg.
    • Chandrayaan-1 rode a PSLV rocket in 2008, as did Mangalyaan, the Mars Orbiter mission, in 2013.
  • Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (2014): The experimental flight of the third-generation GSLV (Launch Vehicle Mark-3) with an indigenous cryogenic engine was successful. This marked a significant advancement in India’s launch capabilities.
    • LVM-3 carried the GSAT-19 satellite into space, showcasing its capabilities for launching heavier payloads into geostationary orbits.
    • It also aunched Chandrayaan-2, and Chandrayaan-3 into space.
• Planetary Exploration: 
  • Chandrayaan-1 (2008): India’s maiden Moon mission, launched. It entered lunar orbit and the Moon Impact Probe made a crash landing on the lunar surface. 
    • Chandrayaan-1’s orbiter detected evidence of water on the Moon.
  • Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission, 2013): This was India’s first interplanetary mission. It aimed to develop interplanetary mission technologies and successfully entered Mars orbit. ISRO became the fourth agency to reach Mars orbit, after Russia’s Roscosmos, USA’s NASA, and Eurpean Space Agency.
  • Chandrayaan-2 (2019): This mission aimed to explore the Moon more comprehensively. It featured an orbiter, lander (Vikram), and rover. Although Vikram’s soft landing attempt failed, the orbiter continued to provide valuable lunar data.
  • Chandrayaan-3 (2023): Launched on July 14, 2023, Chandrayaan-3 successfully accomplished what Chandrayaan-2 couldn’t.

ISRO’s Future Mission:

• LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration): ISRO is collaborating with the Japanese space agency, JAXA, on the LUPEX mission, which is slated for 2024-25. 
  • This mission aims to explore the polar regions of the Moon, including the permanently shaded areas, and investigate the abundance of water. ISRO will provide the lander for this mission.

• Aditya-L1: ISRO’s first mission to study the Sun, Aditya-L1, is set for launch in the near future. 
  • It will observe the Sun from a distance of 90 million kilometers and study various solar phenomena, including the solar corona, solar emissions, solar winds, flares, and coronal mass ejections.
• Venus Orbiter: ISRO is working on sending an Orbiter mission to Venus within the next two years. 
  • This mission aims to study Venus, including its atmosphere and surface, and will contribute to our understanding of this neighboring planet.
• Gaganyaan: ISRO’s human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, is in progress. This ambitious project aims to send Indian astronauts into space.

What should be India’s Next Step Following the Success of Chandrayaan 3?

• Frugal Engineering: India should move beyond “frugal engineering” and think big in its space endeavors. India needs more substantial budgets and more powerful rockets that can transport heavier payloads more quickly.
  • China’s Change 5 Mission and Russia’s Luna 25 Mission reached the moon in a week.
• Private Sector Participation: India has started involving the private sector in its space program, aligning with the global trend of commercial space activities. 
  • To fund major space projects, markets need to contribute more to the space budget alongside government funding.
  • Tata Consulting Engineers Limited (TCE) engineered the solid propellant plant, the vehicle assembly building and the mobile launch pedestal in Chandrayaan 3.
• International Cooperation: India should seek international cooperation in space exploration. After its first nuclear test in May 1974, sanctions limited collaboration, but India is now part of international agreements like Artemis Accords.
  • Artemis Accords is a US-led international partnership on planetary exploration and research. The Accords have been signed by 26 countries till now.
• Geopolitical Competition: Great power rivalry has extended to the Moon, with the US and China leading competing Moon projects. 
  • India should consider negotiation with the US for mutually beneficial participation in the Artemis Mission and navigate these geopolitical dynamics.
• Space Governance: India needs comprehensive space laws, both domestically and internationally, to regulate and promote space activities effectively. 

News Source: The Indian Express