Category Archives: Chandrayaan-3

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 7-10 July 2023

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India Moon Landing Mission Chandrayaan-3 Set for Liftoff

The 3,900-kg Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft (lunar lander, propulsion module, rover) now encapsulated in LVM3 payload fairing as ISRO makes final preparations for 14 July, 02:35 IST launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre – India citizens invited to register for Launch View Gallery, vantage from southern areas of Sriharikota island / Pulicat Lake also available; Landing in MSP region (69.37°S, 32.35°E) expected 23-24 August; Mission duration is 1 lunar day (~14 Earth days) nominal, however ISRO Chairman S. Somanath is hopeful of 2nd lunar day extended operations if lander / rover survive night and recharge via solar panels

Credits: ISRO, IISc Bangalore

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 23-26 June 2023

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India Aims for the Moon with Chandrayaan-3 and Artemis / Technology Partnership with USA

Chandrayaan-3 awaiting 8-day launch window opening 12 July at Satish Dhawan Space Centre / landing attempt at 4 x 2.4 km landing area at 69.367621°S, 32.348126°E; Science payloads to be utilized over 1-lunar day mission include Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA) to characterize near surface lunar plasma; India to enhance lunar & space capabilities via Artemis membership and steps outlined in New Technology Partnership for the Future section of document issued by White House, which calls for facilitation of technology transfer and export control reform

Pictured (L-R): U.S. State Dept Deputy Assistant Secretary for India Nancy Jackson, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, India Ambassador to the United States Taranjit Sandhu, ISRO representative Krunal Joshi; Credits: NASA, ISRO
 

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 June 2023

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India and Russia Accelerating Quest to Pioneer Moon South Pole

ISRO Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander undergoing final integration with LVM-3 rocket at Satish Dhawan Space Centre and is slated for launch to Moon between 12 and 19 July followed by ~1 month cruise and landing at 69.37°S, 32.35°E with ≤ 2 m / sec final velocity touchdown; Roscosmos Luna-25 (47 years after Luna-24) is to follow NET 11 Aug launching from Vostochny Cosmodrome, with direct TLI route powered by Soyuz-2.1b with Fregat upper stage lasting only a few days until landing at 69.55°S, 43.54°E, just ~120km distant from Chandrayaan-3; Intuitive Machines Nova-C NET Q3, Astrobotic Griffin NET Nov 2024, NASA Artemis 3 NET Dec 2025, Chang’E-7 around 2026 also targeting MSP

Pictured: ISRO Chairman S. Somanath, Roscosmos Director Yury Borisov; Credits: ISRO, Roscosmos, Lavochkin
 

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 9-12 June 2023

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National Moon Missions Around World Making Final Preparations for Launch / Lunar Surface Landing Attempts

ULA Vulcan Centaur on track to launch Astrobotic Peregrine NET July following nominal static-fire test of BE-4 methalox first stage engines, upper stage anomaly investigation ongoing, flight qualification 98% done; ISRO targeting 1-week launch window starting 12 July for Chandrayaan-3; Roscosmos set to launch Luna-25 on 11 Aug; JAXA SLIM to launch NET September, with video updates to be released as completed lander is transferred JAXA Space Exploration Center (Sagamihara Campus) to Tanegashima Space Center; Intuitive Machines making significant testing progress, on track for 2023 Nova-C launch

Credits: Intuitive Machines, JAXA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 19-22 May 2023

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7 National and Independent / Commercial Lunar Landers Expected to Launch Within 1 Year

ISRO and Roscosmos targeting similar launch dates (NET 2nd week in July / 13 July respectively) and landing locations in Moon South Pole region (N / NE of Boguslavsky crater ~118km apart), for Chandrayaan-3 and Luna-25 landing missions, however Soyuz 2.1b will carry Luna-25 to direct TLI over a few days, whereas CY-3 will perform a series of Oberth raising maneuvers following LVM3 launch, resulting in ~1 month trip to orbital insertion; Astrobotic Peregrine, IM Nova-C, and JAXA SLIM striving for NET Q3 launch, IM-2 early 2024, Chang’E-6 NET May 2024

Credits: JAXA Lunar and Mars Exploration Logo Contest / Twitter @jsec_jaxa_jp

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 12-15 May 2023

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5 Efforts to Achieve Summer Moon Landings Underway

Chandrayaan-3 may lead ≤ 5 Moon landings during summer, with July launch via LVM 3 on track per anonymous ISRO source cited by Hindustan Times, contrary to Minister Singh statement; Roscosmos Luna-25 targeting 13 July launch to 69.55°S, 43.54°E landing site, just ~118 km away from nominal Chandrayaan-3 site at 69.37°S, 32.35°E; Intuitive Machines Nova-C now set for launchpad arrival “mid-to-late Q3” per CEO Steve Altemus; Astrobotic Peregrine launch prospects hinge on ULA Vulcan Centaur flight readiness, firing test planned for next week; JAXA SLIM is also awaiting investigation of H3 rocket failure with NET August launch

Credits: KARI, ISRO, Roscosmos, IM, Astrobotic, JAXA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 28 Apr – 1 May 2023

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5 Space Agency / Independent Moon Landing Missions to Launch in Coming Months

Astrobotic Peregrine awaiting ULA launch readiness NET June following Centaur V anomaly; NPO Lavochkin preparing to transport Roscosmos Luna-25 to Vostochny Cosmodrome in first 10 days of June ahead of NET 13 July launch; Intuitive Machines aiming for summer launch of Nova-C; JAXA SLIM launching NET August pending investigation of probable short circuit / engine leak cause of H3 failure; ISRO Chandrayaan-3 pushed to 2024 per comments given by Union Minister Jitendra Singh; Lunar aspirants may consider consultation / collaboration with only successful 21st Century Moon surface operators at CNSA

Credits: Astrobotic, Roscosmos, IM, JAXA, ISRO, CNSA

Friday / 21 April 2023

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ISRO and Moon Village Association Holding Chandrayaan-3 Student Outreach Video Contest

Under theme Importance of Chandrayaan-3 Mission for India and the Global Moon Exploration and Settlement, in honor of former Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Director S. Ramakrishnan (L), students around the world in 2 age groups (13-17 / 18-21) are invited to submit 2-3 minute videos accompanied by a transcript and 150-word biography in English; Gold, Silver and Bronze awards will be given within both categories, with Golds receiving free entry to 7th Global Moon Village Workshop & Symposium 6-10 Dec in Kurashiki and Tottori, Japan; Submissions due 31 May

Pictured: ISRO Director of Capacity Building and Public Outreach Sudheer Kumar (M),
MVA President Giuseppe Reibaldi (R); Credits: MVA, ISRO, IAF

Friday / 24 March 2023

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Chandrayaan-3 on Track for Mid-Year Launch, ISRO Chief Adamant on Precision Landing Near Manzinus Craters

Speaking at 3-day Indian Planetary Science Conference (IPSC) at Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad attended by ~225 delegates, ISRO Chairman S Somanath identifies precision landing near 70.83°S, 22.67°E as “primary objective” of Chandrayaan-3 Moon mission, adding that science objectives will remain largely similar to those of failed Chandrayaan-2 (study and mapping of lunar resources especially hydroxyl / water ice); Somanath also indicated ISRO-JAXA joint mission dubbed ‘LUPEX’ may proceed, Shukrayaan-1 Venus mission to launch NET 2028, and “meaningful” science rational for Gaganyaan human spaceflight program must be developed

Credits: ISRO

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 17-20 March 2023

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China Plans for Lunar Station Science, India Advancing Chandrayaan-3 Landing, UK Developing Nuclear Reactor

Earth Observation, stellar formation and origin of Moon are science focus areas for ILRS per Zou Yongliao of CAS; Lunar agriculture and ISRU also to be prominent in upcoming phase 4 CLEP missions Chang’E 6-8 (NET 2024, 2026, 2028); ISRO on track for late June / early July launch of Chandrayaan-3 following successful vibration / acoustic and electromagnetic testing; UK Space Agency to provide an additional US$3.53M to Rolls-Royce-led micro-reactor project supported by Sheffield, Oxford, Brighton, Bangor universities with goal of deployment on Moon circa 2029

Credits: CNSA, CAS, ISRO, Rolls-Royce