CHANDRAYAAN 3

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Context: India is gearing up for its third attempt to land on the moon with a launch scheduled for 14th July at 2:35 pm. The mission, named Chandrayaan-3, will carry a lander and a rover that will try to touch down softly on the lunar terrain and conduct scientific experiments.

Details

• India is set to launch Chandrayaan-3, its third lunar exploration mission. The mission aims to achieve a soft landing on the moon's South Pole, a feat that eluded Chandrayaan-2 in 2019.
• Chandrayaan-2 was India's most ambitious space mission to date. It consisted of an orbiter, a lander named Vikram, and a rover named Pragyan. The orbiter successfully entered the lunar orbit and is still functioning, but the lander and the rover crashed during the descent phase in September 2019. The cause of the failure was attributed to a software glitch that resulted in a loss of communication and control.
• Chandrayaan-3 is a modified version of Chandrayaan-2, with some key differences. It does not have an orbiter, as it will use the existing one from Chandrayaan-2. It has a new lander and rover, with improved design and performance. It also has more fuel and thrusters to ensure a smoother landing. The mission will use the same launch vehicle, the GSLV Mk III, as Chandrayaan-2.
• The main objective of Chandrayaan-3 is to demonstrate India's capability to land softly on the moon and operate a rover on its surface. The lander and rover will carry several scientific instruments to study the lunar terrain, mineralogy, seismology, and thermal properties.

Must-Read Articles:

Chandrayaan 3: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/chandrayaan-3-mission

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-sci-tech/chandrayaan-3-launch-tomorrow-the-two-moon-missions-compared-8831747/