The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will Wednesday perform the final power descent manoeuvre of its space craft Chandrayaan 3…
Chandrayaan-3, (photo:ANI)
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will Wednesday perform the final power descent manoeuvre of its space craft Chandrayaan 3 and try to soft land it near the south pole region of the Moon. If successful, India will create history by being the first country to land a probe near the south pole, also known as the dark side of the Moon. ISRO is hoping this little-explored side has water ice and can be used to create rocket fuels and support a possible human habitation on the lunar surface.
Chandrayaan 3’s Vikram is currently looking for a safe spot to land on the lunar surface through its Lander Hazard Detection and Avoidance Camera (LHDAC). So far the health of the Chandrayaan 3’s Vikram Lander is normal and there is no reason to delay the landing.
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However, the soft landing of Chandrayaan 3’s lander Vikram can be postponed to a later date, probably August 27 and a final decision, according to reports, will be taken 2 hours before the scheduled soft landing on August 23.
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So, what are the circumstances under which ISRO may opt for a later date to land it’s prob on the moon?
1. Moon is an unpredictable territory and changing constantly. ISRO is currently monitoring the Moon to ensure safe landing spot for its module. If the space agency doesn’t find a safe landing spot, the mission can be postponed to a later date.
2. Two hours before the scheduled landing, ISRO will once again assess the health of Vikram Lander. If all components are not working the way they should, ISRO may not want to take a risk and look for another landing window so that issues with the lander module’s health can be resolved.
3. ISRO has carefully choosen the time of Lunar sunrise to land it’s probe near the dark side of the moon called south polar region. However, if there is any weather event that could effect the mission, Chandrayaan 3’s landing can be postponed.
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