ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 mission, which landed on the Moon on August 23, has been permanently put to sleep. Micrometeoroid strikes and solar radiation now threaten the spacecraft.
The ambitious Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) lunar project Chandrayaan-3 is idle. After landing on the Moon on August 23 after conducting tests and deploying a rover, the mission has been put into sleep mode forever.
Since the mission is over, the spacecraft will stay on the moon. Vikram lander is “happily sleeping on the Moon” after fulfilling its “job very well,” says Isro chairman S Somnath.
The spacecraft faces new risks from outside the Moon while in sleep mode.
Vikram and Pragyan have been powered down, so micrometeoroid hits are their main concern on the Moon.
On condition of anonymity, senior Isro officials informed indiatoday.in that micrometeoroids blasting the Moon could hit the duo. Isro knew this because missions like Apollo’s on the Moon had comparable outcomes.
Dr. P. Sreekumar, Professor and Director of the Manipal Centre for Natural Sciences, said the Moon has no atmosphere or oxygen, thus the spacecraft won’t corrode. The micrometeoroid hits that could damage the spacecraft beyond the cold lunar night are unknown.
“The Moon has no atmosphere, so the Sun bombards it with radiation. This may also harm. Little data exists, therefore we don’t know what will happen “added.
Lunar dust will also reach the lander and rover. Due to lunar airlessness, lunar dust sticks to materials better than Earth’s dust. Data from Apollo missions shows how dust occupies lunar spacecraft.
The lunar reflectometers left by Apollo astronauts include dust layers, Dr. P. Sreekumar said. “So we have some idea about it.”
Isro scientists are delighted because the spacecraft completed its 14-day Moon mission before going to sleep.
Its main goal was to study the lunar south polar zone, which is rich in water ice that might provide oxygen, fuel, and water. The lander was supposed to land securely and softly on the moon, while the rover demonstrated its driving skills.
Using an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer (APXS) and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS), the Pragyan rover analyzed lunar surface chemicals.
The rover found sulfur near the South Pole, which scientists found noteworthy. Other elements found included aluminum, calcium, iron, chromium, titanium, manganese, silicon, and oxygen.
Besides sulfur, the rover measured seismic activity using a lunar quake instrument. This discovery, along with sulfur, has illuminated the Moon’s composition and geology.
Vikram lander performed a hop experiment, lifting off and landing roughly 40 cm away, making Moon sample return possible in future missions.
The mission data has improved our understanding of the Moon and cleared the path for future lunar and interplanetary missions.
Conclusion
Isro’s Chandrayaan-3 moon mission is in sleep mode. The spaceship faces new hazards like micrometeoroid collisions and solar radiation. Dr. P. Sreekumar, Professor and Director of the Manipal Centre for Natural Sciences, said micrometeoroid impacts and radiation bombardment could damage the Moon, but corrosion is unlikely. Due to Moon airlessness, lunar dust will also reach the lander and rover. The mission sought oxygen, fuel, and water in the lunar south polar area.
