After the failure of the Russian Luna-25 probe last weekend, the pressure is mounting for the Indian mission and its Chandrayaan-3 probe. For the first time in its history, India should land a device on the Earth’s satellite and thus join the very exclusive club of countries that have successfully landed on the moon (Russia, United States, China). Four years ago, the most populous country in the world made a first attempt which ended in failure.
Chandrayaan-3 is expected to land on the Moon shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday, August 23, India time (12:30 p.m. GMT), near the little-explored lunar south pole, which would be a world first for a space program. Launched six weeks ago, on July 14, this probe was developed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). It includes a landing module called Vikram, a name which means “valour” in Sanskrit, weighing 1752 kg, and a mobile robot, called Pragyan (“wisdom” in Sanskrit), responsible for exploring the surface of the Moon (26 kg).
The former head of ISRO, K. Sivan, believes that the latest photos transmitted by the mission indicate that the final leg of the journey should be crowned with success. “It encourages us [à penser] that the mission will make a successful landing without any problem”he said on Monday.
Multiple challenges
The challenges of this mission are obviously scientific, since we still have a lot to learn from the Moon. Measurements around the landing site are thus scheduled, explains ISRO, which refers to analyzes of the “seismicity”of the “mineralogical composition of the lunar surface” or even his “thermal properties”. In particular, the mission hopes to find water ice there, which would have important implications for a potential human colony on the Moon. The objectives are also technological, India wishing “demonstrate a safe and smooth landing on the lunar surface”.
Finally, the stakes are geopolitical. India claims the status of space superpower, but does not have a budget to match its space program, which is currently in development. According to the press, this mission has a budget of around 67 million euros, which is much lower than that of competing countries. However, this did not prevent India from placing a satellite in orbit around Mars in 2014, and from having ambitions for the future. A three-day manned mission in Earth orbit is expected to take place by the end of next year.
A success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission would be an excellent signal for the ambitions of the Asian country, especially after the failures of the Russian (Luna-25), Israeli missions in 2019 and Japanese (also in 2019). The launcher of the mission must meanwhile “to continue its journey in the current orbit for months/years” as part of a program to study exoplanets.
To follow the moon landing of the Indian mission live: