About Chandrayaan-3:
- Chandrayaan-3 was the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) second attempt, after Chandrayaan-2, to achieve a successful landing and rover operation on the Moon's surface.
- It was launched using ISRO's LVM3 rocket, designed to place modules into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) at a lower cost.
- LVM3 is a three-stage rocket with two solid strap-on boosters and a core liquid stage.
- The LVM3 M4 launcher positioned the integrated modules in an elliptical parking orbit of approximately 170 x 36,500 km.
- Objectives: The mission aims to explore the presence of water ice, which could support future lunar habitation and provide fuel for interplanetary missions. Key goals include:
- Achieving a safe and soft landing on the Moon.
- Conducting rover-based exploration of the lunar surface.
- Performing in-situ scientific experiments through the rover.
- Mission Components: Chandrayaan-3 consists of a Lander Module (LM), a Propulsion Module (PM), and a Rover designed to develop and demonstrate interplanetary mission technologies.
Chandrayaan-3 Recent Findings:
- New data from Chandrayaan-3 indicates possible water-ice deposits beyond the Moon's polar regions.
- A study by the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, using data from Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) instrument, supports this finding.
- ChaSTE measured a 60°C temperature difference between the lunar surface and 10 cm below it, revealing that the Moon’s surface layer is highly non-conductive, providing insights into its composition and thermal properties.
