[ad_1]
Chandrayaan 3 is now on its way to the moon. It is a journey of 42 days. The spacecraft rotates in an elliptical orbit, moving away from Earth at a distance of 41,762 km and approaching at a distance of 173 km. This height will increase to about 220 kilometers in the next few days, with many tests and calibrations carried out, before it will be transported, far from Earth, to be captured in lunar orbit (translunar injection) a few days later. This orbit will gradually shrink, bringing the spacecraft closer and closer to the Moon. Finally, it will attempt a soft landing at a site near the moon’s south pole, from a circular orbit about 100 kilometers from the surface.
Although everyone is focused on the final procedure of the soft landing, the journey before that is riddled with difficulties, like Ulysses’ path to Ithaca. All of which will keep us very anxious until August 23rd.
Anyone who wanted, watched for the first time, on widely available channels on community screens, televisions and mobile phones, the launch process in great detail. In the first 1,000-second hair-raising period, everything went as expected. The liquid core ignited, sending the spacecraft into a higher orbit. Finally, the new cryogenic engine, which used solid hydrogen and oxygen at temperatures of up to -200 degrees Celsius, propelled the spacecraft into a higher orbit, before the satellite separated.
There were cheers from thousands of school children in Sriharikota, which reverberated through school grounds, markets, community spaces and families across the country. It was as if the national team had won a crucial cricket match. That’s what made this launch different. Since the pandemic, access to digital media, online discussions, and news dissemination have become widespread. Everyone watched and cheered.
In 1957, when the Russians launched Sputnik, Vikram Sarabhai, who laid the foundation for the Indian space program, which led to the creation of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), said: “There are those who question the significance of space activities in Iran. For us, there is no ambiguity in The goal. We have no fantasy of competing with economically developed countries in lunar or interplanetary exploration or manned spaceflight. But we are convinced that if we want to play a meaningful role at the national level and in the community of nations, we must be first in applying advanced technologies to real problems. of man and society.”
The importance of Chandrayaan-3 to the Indian space program is enormous. The mission is a huge step forward in India’s lunar exploration programme, and is sure to make significant contributions to our understanding of the moon. Perhaps most importantly, it will showcase India’s capabilities and build its reputation in the global space community, which will help attract more investment in the country’s space industry.
One is painfully aware that India’s private sector, though capable, is only involved in a very small part of the space project in the international industrial sector, which is currently valued at around $500 billion. This must change, and the Indian industry must become a major global player.
The government’s newly unveiled Space Policy 2023 states that India’s space program should “enable, encourage and develop a thriving commercial presence in space”. Chandrayaan-3 is a clear example of how India’s space program can help achieve this goal.
The mission is a joint venture between ISRO and the Indian private sector. This is the first time that India has partnered with the private sector on a major space mission, and it demonstrates the government’s commitment to the new space policy. The probe and the rover that will be deployed to the moon have been developed by a consortium of Indian companies in collaboration with ISRO Laboratories. The mission’s ground control systems were also developed by ISRO with industry help, and much of the mission’s data will be processed and analyzed privately.
India is now a signatory to the Artemis Accords, an agreement with the world’s other leading space agencies – NASA (USA), European Space Agency (Europe), JAXA (Japan) and Canadian Space Agency (Canada) – to explore the Moon with the aim of colonizing it. If Chandrayaan-3 can lead the way in this difficult region, then future Artemis astronauts, building on the pioneering work of ISRO, will be able to collect core samples and volatiles from these regions. This could have a profound impact on the future of deep space exploration and ultimately commercial activities.
Indian scientists are now involved in a few frontline projects around the world that are pushing technological boundaries. India has tackled hardware and software challenges in the Thirty Meter Telescope project, in collaboration with the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, and in the initial stages of India’s recently approved Laser Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO-India) and field. The kilometer array in radio astronomy. The technological breakthroughs in the astrophysics and space sectors are now out for the world to see.
As an astrophysicist, I am very excited about the scientific results expected from this project. The Moon and Earth were formed at the same time from the same materials. Understanding the formation and composition of the moon will go a long way in understanding how our planet formed.
Of the three countries that have successfully landed either humans or instruments on the Moon (the United States, the former Soviet Union, China), none have ventured far into the Southern Hemisphere. The probe will land at about 70 degrees south latitude, near the South Pole. Why is this so important?
There are many geographic variations on the Moon’s surface, many of which are worth exploring. In the southern hemisphere there are many high mountains and deep craters, which are more extreme in nature than those in the north. This blocks the sun’s rays, and therefore, there are large areas of permanently shaded areas near the poles, where temperatures can drop to -200°C. These are home to volatiles, which are chemical elements or compounds that melt or vaporize at moderate temperatures. This includes water, which we believe is present in large amounts in the form of supercooled ice. These volatiles can provide valuable insights into the history of the solar system.
People often ask me if a poor country like India can afford to spend 600 crore rupees on a mission to the moon. The amount is less than the budget of some major films and one-fifth of the price of one Boeing 747. It is not expensive, and it opens guarantee possibilities for the country and the local industry to earn more associated projects.
Not least important is that missions like Chandrayaan-3 will inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. It was great to see the bright faces of young people at the shooting, on our campuses, and on the streets. Chandrayaan-3’s success will send a message to young people across the country that it is possible to do good science, and make a difference here, on Indian soil.
It’s hard to put a price tag on that.
Somak Raychaudhury is an Astrophysicist and Vice-Chancellor of Ashoka University, Haryana, and Ex-Director, IUCAA, Pune. Opinions are personal.
[ad_2]
