ISRO Mission Updates: Chandrayaan-3 may have to take a back seat.
Sunday, October 17, 2021 | Chimniii Desk
Highlights
Chandrayaan-3, aimed at landing equipment on the lunar surface, may have to wait its turn even while work on the project continues across centres. ISRO conceived Chandrayaan-3 following its failure to soft-land Vikram (lander) on the lunar surface while still operating Chandrayaan-2's orbiter over the Moon. As a result, unlike the previous mission, which carried an orbiter, lander, and rover, Chandrayaan-3 will carry only a lander and rover, as well as a propulsion module that will carry the fuel required to guide the landing module following launch. " "While the mission was originally scheduled to launch in late 2020 or early 2021, the department of space (DoS) announced earlier this year that the launch will be delayed until 2022 due to Covid-19. "
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Chandrayaan 2. Source:ISRO/IANS)
With ISRO pressed for time to launch the first uncrewed mission as part of Gaganyaan, the space agency's second high-profile mission, Chandrayaan-3, aimed at landing equipment on the lunar surface, may have to wait its turn even while work on the project continues across centres.
Multiple scientists affiliated with Chandrayaan-3 confirmed to STOI that testing and production of the lander and other systems that will be used on the Moon mission are now underway at various ISRO facilities, and that design adjustments have been finalised.
ISRO conceived Chandrayaan-3 following its failure to soft-land Vikram (lander) on the lunar surface while still operating Chandrayaan-2's orbiter over the Moon. As a result, unlike the previous mission, which carried an orbiter, lander, and rover, Chandrayaan-3 will carry only a lander and rover, as well as a propulsion module that will carry the fuel required to guide the landing module following launch. "Given the magnitude and scale of Gaganyaan, the necessity to launch the first uncrewed mission as soon as possible is certainly a priority," an Isro senior scientist stated. While we continue to work on Chandrayaan, it is possible that it will be delayed."
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Another scientist, emphasising the critical nature of Gaganyaan's uncrewed mission in determining if the actual human mission can be launched within the timeline set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stated: "We are still targeting 2022, but it will depend on overall readiness."
While the mission was originally scheduled to launch in late 2020 or early 2021, the department of space (DoS) announced earlier this year that the launch will be delayed until 2022 due to Covid-19. "Because the Moon mission will require a certain launch window, we'll have to examine if it's feasible," a source said.
As previously reported by TOI, Chandrayaan-3 would have significant design changes over the previous mission, the most notable of which being the decision to eliminate the fifth engine that was installed at the last minute to Vikram (Chandrayaan-2's lander).
The lander for this mission will have only four engines, and the oversight committee has also proposed a slight alteration to the lander's legs, as well as the addition of a laser doppler velocimeter (LDV) for improved speed measurement during landing.
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