Chandrayaan 3 landing: ISRO's 3rd Moon mission may add India in elite 3-nation club

There has been considerable excitement as ISRO prepares to land Chandrayaan 3 on the Moon on August 23.

There are several reasons why Chandrayaan 3 might prove to be a historic undertaking.

If the mission is successful, it will mark India's entry into an elite club which only has 3 countries as members so far.

ISRO's objective is to do a 'soft-landing' of the 'Vikram' lander and 'Pragyan' rover on the Moon.

Only USA, Russia, and China have done soft-landings on the Moon so far.

Additionally, if Chandrayaan 3 succeeds, it will be the first spacecraft ever to land near the Moon's South Pole.

Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 and its objectives are to demonstrate safe and soft-landing on the lunar surface, roving on the Moon, and to conduct in-situ scientific experiments.

Chandrayaan-2 had failed in its lunar phase when its lander 'Vikram' crashed into the surface of the Moon following anomalies in the braking system in the lander while attempting a touchdown on September 7, 2019. Chandrayaan's maiden mission was in 2008.

The Rs 600 crore Chandrayaan-3 mission was launched on July 14 onboard Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM-3) rocket, for a 41-day voyage to reach near the lunar south pole.

The soft-landing is being attempted days after Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the Moon after spinning out of control.

After the second and final deboosting operation on August 20, the LM is placed in a 25 km x 134 km orbit around the Moon.

Also watch: Chandrayaan-3: difference between soft landing, hard landing and crash

The module would undergo internal checks and await the sun-rise at the designated landing site, ISRO has said, adding that the powered descent -- to achieve soft-landing on the Moon's surface -- is expected to be initiated at around 5:45 pm on Wednesday.

The critical process of soft-landing has been dubbed by many including ISRO officials as "17 minutes of terror", with the entire process being autonomous when the lander has to fire its engines at the right times and altitudes, use the right amount of fuel, and scan of the lunar surface for any obstacles or hills or craters before finally touching down.