Daily Space News 24-08-2023

IISU Branch Library Space News Service 24 August 2023
Indian Express
August 24, 2023
As Chandrayaan-3 lands on the Moon, the story of
ISRO’s remarkable space voyage
A brief history of the three major programmes of the Indian space agency: satellites, launch
vehicles, and planetary exploration
Launch vehicle LVM-3 carrying the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

The Chandrayaan-3 lander made a successful soft landing on the surface of the Moon a little
after 6 pm on Wednesday, making India the first country to reach close to the lunar south pole. India
has also become the fourth nation in history to land on the lunar surface, after the United States, the
erstwhile Soviet Union, and China.
As the nation celebrates the biggest breakthrough of the Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO), here is a look at the previous notable milestones of the space agency through three of its
major programmes: satellites, launch vehicles, and planetary exploration.
ISRO’s satellite programmes

The launch of the Aryabhata satellite on April 19, 1975, marked India’s entry into the space era.
Built to conduct experiments in X-ray astronomy, aeronomics, and solar physics, the 360 kg
spacecraft was entirely designed and fabricated by ISRO. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi named it
after the legendary fifth-century mathematician and astronomer, choosing Aryabhata ahead of
‘Mitra’, to signify the friendship between the Soviet Union and India, and ‘Jawahar’.
The satellite took off from the Kapustin Yar launch base in the Soviet Union on the country’s
Kosmas 3M rocket. India didn’t have its own launch vehicle at the time, and the Soviets had in
1971 offered to assist in launching India’s first satellite and later agreed to do so free of cost. The
satellite worked well for about five days in space but then lost power, resulting in a loss of
communication.
“Aryabhata became the forerunner of our space programme and provided us confidence to build
state-of-the-art application satellites for communication, remote sensing of natural resources and
meteorological investigations,” U R Rao, who led the development of ISRO’s satellite programme,
wrote in ‘From Fishing Hamlet to Red Planet: India’s Space Journey’, a book written by former
ISRO scientists.
Soon after Aryabhata, two experimental remote-sensing satellites went into Space: Bhaskar-1 in
1979 and Bhaskar-2 in 1981. These spacecraft laid the foundations for the Indian Remote Sensing
(IRS) Satellite system — a series of Earth Observation spacecraft built by ISRO.
It was kickstarted with the launch of the IRS-1A into a polar sun-synchronous orbit (spacecraft here
are synchronised to always be in the same ‘fixed’ position relative to the Sun) from the Baikonur
Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan on March 17, 1988.IRS-1A carried two cameras, LISS-I
and LISS-II, which made it the first Indian spacecraft to provide imagery for various land-based
applications, such as agriculture, forestry, geology, and disaster management.
In the following decades, a number of IRS satellites were launched and today, India has one of the
largest constellations of remote sensing satellites in operation.
Also in 1981, another Indian spacecraft was launched — an experimental communication satellite
called Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment (APPLE), which helped inspire the Indian National
Satellite System (INSAT), a series of multipurpose geostationary satellites that aimed to meet the
telecommunications, broadcasting, meteorology, and search and rescue needs of India.Although the
first few INSATs were built by Ford Aerospace in the US, starting with the INSAT-2 series, all
satellites of the system have been indigenously made. The first INSAT-2 spacecraft, the INSAT-2A
was the first multipurpose satellite of India. It was launched on July 10, 1992.
“INSAT initiated a communication revolution in the country by providing nationwide connectivity,
broadcasting and meteorological information to the most remote corners of the country. Remote
sensing satellites have become the backbone for nationwide monitoring of forests, wasteland,
environment, water resources, agriculture, ocean, fisheries, cyclones, floods and disasters,” Rao
wrote.
Since then, numerous INSAT satellites have arrived in space. The launch of KALPANA-1 in 2002
marked a milestone — it was the first in the series of exclusive meteorological satellites built by
ISRO.
More recently, a notable satellite mission has been the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite
System (IRNSS) or NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation). It began with the launch of
India’s first dedicated navigation satellite IRNSS-1A on July 1, 2013, and currently consists of
seven such spacecraft. They are used in terrestrial, aerial, and marine transportation,
location-based services, personal mobility, resource monitoring, surveying, scientific research,
etc.
Launch vehicle programmes

India had been thinking of rockets even before ISRO was established. On November 21, 1963, it
launched the US Nike Apache ‘sounding rocket’ from Thumba, near Thiruvananthapuram. The
rocket was taken to the launch site on a bullock cart. Sounding rockets are suborbital rockets that
carry experiments to the upper atmosphere of the Earth. They aren’t capable of exiting the planet’s
gravity or reaching into space.
The first Indian launch vehicle to arrive there was the SVL-3 in 1980. The mission was led by A P J
Abdul Kalam, who had joined ISRO in 1969, and was responsible for designing, developing and
launching the vehicle. But the success didn’t come instantly as the first attempt to send the SVL-3
into space on August 10, 1979, ended in failure.
The SLV-3 rocket carrying the Rohini-2 Satellite on its way to orbit after it was successfully
launched at the Sriharikota Range (SHAR) on April 17,1983.
Scientist Ramabhadran Aravamudan in his book, ‘ISRO: A Personal History’, writes about the
incident as follows: “The burning of the first stage seemed normal. I was watching Kalam for some
sign. Had the rocket performed well? After some time, I saw a blank and fixed expression on his
face, followed by disappointment. He turned around and made a thumbs down gesture. Something
had gone wrong.”SVL-3 had gone out of control and splashed into the Bay of Bengal at a distance
of 560 km from the coast, about five minutes after take-off from the Sriharikota launch pad.
Kalam and his team learnt quickly from the mistakes. The second attempt for the launch was
scheduled for just a year later, on July 18, 1980. There was some tension because Sanjay Gandhi,
the Prime Minister’s son, had died in a plane crash about three weeks ago. “Delhi was in chaos as
Indira Gandhi tried to come to terms with the loss. In Trivandrum and SHAR this had a trickledown
effect, but we were determined to go ahead with our launch,” Ramabhadran wrote.SLV-3 took off
without any glitches, and placed its payload, Rohini 1, a 40 kg experimental satellite, in space. This
made India the sixth member of the exclusive club of space-faring nations, and boosted ISRO’s
morale to new heights.
SLV-3’s payload capability wasn’t significant. But it provided a learning platform to ISRO, and led
to the development of the Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV). This was essentially the
SLV-3 rocket, but with additional strap-on boosters, which enabled it to carry a payload of more
than 100 kg.
However, ASLV didn’t prove very successful. Its first two launches ended in failure and by the time
its first glitch-free take-off came in 1992, a new generation of launch vehicle had made its entry. It
was the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
PSLV’s development started in 1982, and its maiden successful launch took place in October 1994.
Most significantly, it marked India’s entry into the Big Rockets league, as it could carry a payload
of up to 1,000 kg.
In the years that followed, PSLV emerged as one of the most reliable and versatile workhorse
launch vehicles, sending numerous Indian and foreign customer satellites into space. Some of
India’s most ambitious space missions have been launched using this rocket — Chandrayaan-1 rode
a PSLV rocket in 2008, as did Mangalyaan, the Mars Orbiter mission, in 2013. PSLV also helped
India enter the arena of satellite navigation, which is considered crucial for both civilian and
defence applications.
“Today, PSLV is available in three configurations: the generic PSLV with six strap-ons, the core
alone (PSLV-CA) configuration with no strap-ons and the most powerful one designated as PSLV-
XL, with extended strapons,” scientist N Narayanamoorthy, who was associated with the PSLV
project from the beginning, wrote in ‘From Fishing Hamlet to Red Planet: India’s Space Journey’.
The next and latest class of rockets is the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). The
new launch vehicle primarily aimed to solve two of the biggest limitations of PSLV: it can deliver a
payload of about 1,750 kg to a lower Earth orbit, up to an altitude of 600 km from the Earth’s
surface; and it can go a few hundred kilometres higher in Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO),
though only with a reduced payload.Unlike their predecessor vehicles, GSLVs use cryogenic
engines — they consist of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen — that provide far greater thrust than
the engines used in the older launch vehicles. ISRO developed these cryogenic engines
indigenously after the US refused to transfer the technology to India in the 1990s.
The big success came in December 2014, with the experimental flight of the third generation (Mk-
III) GSLV, now known as Launch Vehicle Mark-3, containing an indigenous cryogenic engine. The
rocket can put a 4,000 kg payload into geostationary orbits that are over 30,000 km from Earth — it
is ISRO’s heaviest launch vehicle right now. LVM-3’s first successful mission was in 2017, when it
carried the GSAT-19 satellite, a communication spacecraft, into space.
Subsequently, the same launch vehicle put the Chandrayaan-2, weighing 3,850 kg, outside the
Earth’s atmosphere in 2019. And last month, it was LVM-3 that took Chandrayaan-3 into space.
PLANETARY EXPLORATION
In the first four decades since its inception, ISRO largely focused on space missions that benefited
India in some way or the other. However, with the turn of the century, it began to explore new
avenues as it had achieved most of the goals laid out by Vikram Sarabhai, the first chairman of
ISRO, including self-reliance, launch capabilities, and societal needs.
“One such mission which apparently had no ‘practical benefits’ was Chandrayaan-1, India’s maiden
Moon shot,” the book, ‘From Fishing Hamlet to Red Planet: India’s Space Journey’, mentions.
The notes that it took ISRO more than four years to convince the Indian government to greenlight
the mission. Former ISRO chairman K Kasturirangan, in a 2006 lecture, said, “We had to go
through an elaborate process of consultation and justification with the scientific community,
academics, the political system and the public media before the mission was given the go-ahead…
This process, spread out over four years, culminated in the announcement by the Prime Minister of
India (Atal Bihari Vajpayee) on 15 August 2003 on the nation’s decision to enter the new era of
planetary exploration.”
With the approval of the Chandrayaan-1, an Orbiter mission, ISRO began preparations, aiming to
launch in 2008. It improved the payload capabilities of the PSLV, which was ISRO’s main rocket at
the time, and realised that it had some excess capacity. “It was then proposed that we could invite
foreign space agencies to send their instruments on our mission,” G Madhavan Nair, who was the
space agency’s chairman between 2003 and 2009, told The Indian Express recently. The
Chandrayaan-1 featured payloads from international space agencies like the European Space
Agency and the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The Chandrayaan-1 mission was launched on October 22, 2008, and the spacecraft entered lunar
orbit on November 8. Six days later, the Moon Impact Probe, which had the Indian colours on its
sides, was made to crash land on the lunar surface — to leave India’s mark on the Moon. With this,
ISRO became the fifth country to reach the lunar surface. Chandrayaan-1’s orbiter also detected
evidence of water on the Moon.The next milestone for ISRO came on September 24, 2013, with the
launch of Mangalyaan — the space agency’s first interplanetary mission. ISRO was the only fourth
agency to reach the Mars orbit after Russia’s Roscosmos, NASA, and ESA. The mission was a
“technology demonstrator” project to develop the technologies for designing, planning, managing,
and operations of an interplanetary mission.
Six years later, the sequel to the first Chandrayaan mission came out. Speaking to The Indian
Express, Nair said the discussions for Chandrayaan-2, which would also feature a lander and rover,
had started right after the success of its prequel. But its launch came only after Mangalyaan as
“there were huge technological learnings involved, particularly with regard to the descent module
that was supposed to land”, which took a number of years.Chandrayaan-2 began its journey to the
Moon on July 22, 2019. Its lander, called Vikram, was scheduled to make a soft-landing on the
lunar surface on September 7 but minutes before the scheduled touchdown, ISRO lost contact with
the spacecraft. Vikram failed to reduce its velocity to an optimal level to ensure a soft-landing, and
crashed into the lunar surface.
Despite the lander’s failure, it wasn’t as if the mission itself was a failure. The Chandrayaan-2
orbiter continued to work fine and in the following years, it gathered a wealth of new information
that has expanded knowledge about the Moon and its environment.
Chandrayaan-3, launched on July 14, 2023, has now accomplished what the Chandrayaan-2
couldn’t. The success of the mission is not only a major step forward for India’s lunar programme
but also showcases its capabilities and scientific advancement.
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Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-sci-tech/history-of-isro-8906242/
The Hindu
August 24, 2023
Opposition leaders congratulate ISRO for dedication,
ingenuity
Congress recalls how the space programme started under Nehru’s leadership
ISRO Chairman S. Somanath with others show victory sign after the successful soft-landing
Chandrayaan-3 Lander Vikram on the surface of Moon during Chandrayaan-3 Mission, at ISRO in
Bengaluru on Wednesday.
Opposition leaders across the political spectrum congratulated the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) after Chandrayaan-3’s lander, Vikram, made a soft landing on the south pole
of the Moon on Wednesday, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge calling it “a collective
success of every Indian and a testament to the vision of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
Mr. Kharge said an elated nation with 140 crore aspirations witnessed yet another achievement in its
six-decade-long space programme. “We are deeply indebted to the remarkable hard work,
unparalleled ingenuity and unflinching dedication of our scientists, space engineers, researchers and
everyone involved in making this mission a triumph for India,” he said.
The Congress chief said that the immaculate soft-landing is a fitting tribute to Homi J. Bhabha,
Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan, Meghnad Saha, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
and many other legendary scientists who paved the way for India’s unmatchable progress in the
field of space.
ISRO employees watch the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the surface of the moon at
ISRO’s Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network facility, in Bengaluru, Wednesday, Aug 23,
2023.
“These accomplishments are a testament to the vision of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who emphasised
and sincerely believed that a critical commitment to science could drive the spirit of development of
our newly independent nation by igniting the spirit and minds of the people, which was later
followed by successive Prime Ministers,” Mr. Kharge said in a video message.
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee said that India is
now in the super league of space. On social media platform X, she praised the scientists for the
technological progress made. Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary
Jairam Ramesh, in their congratulatory messages, underscored the point that space research has
been a “saga of continuity” since it started in 1962.
“Chandrayaan-3’s soft landing on the uncharted lunar South Pole is the result of decades of
tremendous ingenuity and hard work by our scientific community. Since 1962, India’s space
program has continued to scale new heights and inspire generations of young dreamers,” Mr.
Gandhi said in a post on X.
In a video message, Mr. Ramesh said, “ISRO’s accomplishments have always been anchored in
self-reliance. They reflect phenomenal teamwork, partnerships and enterprise. The entire world is
looking up to ISRO today, acknowledging its achievements, and for us Indians, it is a matter of
special pride.”
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury credited “six decades of commitment, hard work and
dedication” for the successful landing. He called the event a tribute to “scientific temper, reason and
rationality.” Communist Party of India general secretary D. Raja said that the best investment for
the country is in education and scientific temper. While congratulating the scientific community,
RJD leader and Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav posted on X, “ISRO which is
dedicated for space programmes since 1962 has created history today.”
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Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/opposition-leaders-congratulate-isro/
article67228257.ece
The Print
August 23, 2023
As Chandrayaan-3 touches down on Moon’s

surface, meet the key scientists behind mission
Key figures include Chandrayaan-3 project director as well as
ISRO chairman & directors of Vikram Sarabhai Space
Centre, U R Rao Satellite Centre & Satish Dhawan Space
Centre.
(From left to right) ISRO chairman S Somanath, Chandrayaan-3 project director P Veeramuthuvel,
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre director S Unnikrishnan Nair, U R Rao Satellite Centre director M
Sankaran, and Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR director A Rajarajan. As Chandrayaan-3 touches
down on Moon’s surface, meet the key scientists behind mission
Key figures include Chandrayaan-3 project director as well as ISRO chairman & directors of
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, U R Rao Satellite Centre & Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
New Delhi: Hours before India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission made a soft landing on the Moon’s surface
Wednesday, the first country to land a spacecraft near the lunar south pole, mission directors at
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) were busy preparing for what was to be a historic
moment in the nation’s space mission.
Here is a look at the key faces driving the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

S Somanath, ISRO Chairman
The ISRO chairman has become a household name after he assumed the leadership of the space
agency in January last year. Since then, Somanath has become the face of India’s third lunar
mission.
Somanath has served as director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) as well as the Liquid
Propulsion Systems Centre — both of which are driving the development of rockets for ISRO.
His expertise lies in the area of system engineering of launch vehicles, and he has made significant
contributions to the design and development of PSLV and GSLV MkIII, now known as Launch
Vehicle Mark-III. Both these launch vehicles have a long track record of successful launches.
P Veeramuthuvel, Chandrayaan-3 Project Director
Veeramuthuvel, who hails from a humble family in Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram, took charge as the
Project Director of Chandrayaan-3 in 2019. The IIT-Madras alumnus was earlier the Deputy
Director at the Space Infrastructure Programme Office at ISRO’s main office.
He has been part of various projects including a number of on remote sensing satellites, India’s
Mars Orbiter Mission ‘Mangalyaan’ and, more recently, Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3.
S Unnikrishnan Nair, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Director

Nair is the director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Kerala. VSSC was responsible for
developing the Launch Vehicle Mark-III. As the head of VSSC, Nair and his team oversee various
aspects of the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
Beginning his career at VSSC Trivandrum in 1985, he has made significant contributions in launch
vehicle mechanisms, acoustic protection systems and payload fairing areas during his tenure.
Apart from this, Nair is also the first director of Human Space Flight Centre, Bengaluru. He has an
expertise in leading advanced projects like Human Spaceflight, Air Breathing Propulsion and
Reusable Launch Vehicle Development.
Nair played a key role in the maiden orbital reentry experiment, Space Capsule Recovery
Experiment (SRE), right from the study phase onwards to its mission accomplishment in 2007. He
has made seminal contributions in developing the parachute and other recovery systems for re-
entering vehicle for the first time in the country.
The senior scientist has also played a pivotal role in lining up various national agencies including
the services for formulating the recovery procedures and implementation for the recovery of SRE
from sea.
M Sankaran, U R Rao Satellite Centre Director
Since 2021, Sankaran has been director at U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), which is responsible
for developing satellites that meet India’s diverse needs such as communication, navigation, remote
sensing, weather forecasting, and planetary exploration.
Before taking over as URSC head, Sankaran was functioning as Deputy Director for
Communication and Power Systems Area in URSC and spearheading the developments.
During his 35 years of stint in URSC and ISRO, he has contributed primarily in the areas of solar
arrays, power systems, Satellite Positioning System and RF communication systems for Low Earth
Orbit (LEO) satellites, geostationary and navigation satellites, and outer space missions like
Chandrayaan, Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) among others.
He has been instrumental for developing a unique design for power generation and distribution
systems for the interplanetary mission like Chandrayaan-1 & 2, Mars Orbiter Mission, Astrosat, etc.
A Rajarajan, Satish Dhawan Space Centre Director
As director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Rajarajan’s team works on the Launch Complex
Infrastructure to meet ISRO’s increased demand for launches.
Previously, he has held the responsibility as Deputy Director of various VSSC entities from time to
time including the ‘Propulsion and Space Ordinance Entity (PRSO), Aero Space Ordnance Entity
(ASOE), Composites Entity (CMSE) and Structures Entity (STR)’.
He has extensively worked in the area of design and development of composites products and
played a pivotal role in developing many innovative technologies for the development of
composites for satellites and launch vehicle subsystems.
In 2017, he was assigned an additional responsibility as Deputy Director of Propulsion and Space
Ordinance Entity (PRSO), post PSLV C39 mission failure. Rajarajan has steered the team in
addressing the issues and improving the reliability of the system along with improvement in
analytical methods of systems.
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Source: https://theprint.in/science/all-eyes-on-chandrayaan-3-meet-the-key-scientists-behind-isros-
moon-mission/1726858/
Times of India
August 23, 2023
Chandrayaan-3: Meet the scientists who put India on
the Moon
Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) S Somanath, former ISRO Chairman
AS Kiran Kumar and others watch the final phases before Chandrayaan-3’s soft landing on the
Moon’s surface (PTI)
NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday marked a watershed moment in its nascent space exploration
history by becoming the first ever country to successfully land on the south pole of the Moon.
With the success of Chandrayaan-3, India is now the fourth country after US, China and Russia to
make a successful landing on the Moon.
The historic feat achieved by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), at just a fraction of a
budget of several Hollywood movies, would not have been possible without some of the country's
top minds who worked on the project.
Isro chairman S Somanath
The Isro chief is considered the brains behind the ambitious mission to the Moon. He has also been
credited with fast-tracking many other mission including Gaganyaan (crewed mission) and Aditya-
L1 (mission to the sun).
"We have achieved soft landing on moon. India is on the Moon!" exclaimed the Isro chief after the
country achieved a lunar touchdown.
Before being given the responsibility to head India's space agency, Somanath served as the director
of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre — the
primary centres for development of rocket technologies for Isro.
Chandrayaan-3 project director P Veeramuthuvel
P Veeramuthuvel took charge as Chandrayaan-3 project director in 2019. Before his current
assignment, he served as a deputy director in the Space Infrastructure Programme Office at the Isro
headquarters.
Known for his technical acumen, Veeramuthuvel played a key role in Chandrayaan-2 mission as
well, being the point person for its negotiations with National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA). A native of Villupuram in Tamil Nadu, Veeramuthuvel is an alumni of
Indian Institute of Technology in Madras (IIT-M).
Mission director Mohana Kumar
The mission director for LVM3-M4/Chandrayaan 3 is S Mohana Kumar, a senior scientists from the
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. He earlier served as the director for the successful commercial
launch of the One Web India 2 satellites on board the LVM3-M3 mission.
"The LVM3-M4 has once again proved to be the most reliable heavy lift vehicle for Isro.
Congratulations to the teamwork of the Isro family," he said.
Noting that India is need of such a reliable vehicle, Mohana said his team is hard at work to ensure
further safety and reliability of the LVM so that launches can be done more frequently.
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) director S Unnikrishnan Nair
The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark –III, which was renamed as Launch
Vehicle Mark-III, rocket, was developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) at Thumba
in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram district.
Being the head of VSSC, S Unnikrishnan Nair and his team are in charge of various key functions
of the crucial mission.
"This was the 7th mission of LVM3 and the third launch just this year, which is a herculean task.
The success rate of this vehicle is 100%. I wish for a feather-like landing on the moon for
Chandrayaan-3 in August end. Good luck," Nair said.
U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) director M Sankaran
M Sankaran took over as director of U R Rao Satellite Centre, the lead centre in India for design,
development and realisation of all satellites of Isro, in June 2021.
He is currently leading the satellite fraternity to meet the national requirements in the areas like
communication, navigation, remote sensing, meteorology and inter-planetary exploration.
"I thank the LVM3 team for providing a textbook-like launch and placement of Chandrayaan-3. We
have been working hard for the last four years to make this mission a success," said Sankaran.
Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) chief A Rajarajan
A Rajarajan is a distinguished scientist and currently the director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre
SHAR (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota, principal SpacePort of India.
"Once again the fat boy has done its job and put in orbit precisely the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft. I
congratulate all teams for the perfect launch," he said.
Rajarajan is an expert in the area of composites and as the director his priorities was on the fruition
of solid motor production and launch complex infrastructure to meet Isro’s increased demand of
launches including launches for Human Space Programme (Gaganyaan) and SSLV.
The Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) gives the go-ahead for the launch.
Associate project director K Kalpana
Kalpana K is the associate project director of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Apart from working on
Chandrayaan 3, Kalpana has in the past worked on Chandrayaan-2 and Mangalyaan missions.
54 female engineers/scientists contributed to Chandrayaan-3
It may look like an all-male mission due to the presence of men in top leadership roles. However,
that's not the case.
Around 54 female engineers/scientists have worked directly on the mission. According to an Isro
official, they are "associate and deputy project directors and project managers of various systems."
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Source:https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/chandrayaan-3-meet-the-scientists-who-put-india-
on-the-moon/articleshow/102989520.cms?from=mdr The Hindu
August 24, 2023

Moment of pride for ISRO units in
Thiruvananthapuram
All the ISRO units in Thiruvananthapuram, including the VSSC, the Liquid Propulsion
Systems Centre (LPSC), and the ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU), had vital roles to play in
the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
Moment of pride for ISRO units in Thiruvananthapuram
All the ISRO units in Thiruvananthapuram, including the VSSC, the Liquid Propulsion Systems
Centre (LPSC), and the ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU), had vital roles to play in the
Chandrayaan-3 mission.
For units of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Kerala, it was a moment of pride as
the ‘Vikram’ lander touched down on the moon’s surface.
For the Space Physics Laboratory (SPL) at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), the real job,
in fact, has just begun. SPL is responsible for two of the scientific payloads aboard the lander
module.
Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE), developed by SPL in collaboration with
the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, is designed to measure the thermal properties
of the lunar regolith. Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive Ionosphere and Atmosphere
(RAMBHA), a Langmuir Probe, will measure near-surface plasma density and how it changes with
time.
SPL scientists had the same two payloads aboard the 2019 Chandrayaan-2 mission also, but the
lander had crashed on the lunar surface, leaving them disappointed.
All the ISRO units in Thiruvananthaopuram, including the VSSC, the Liquid Propulsion Systems
Centre (LPSC), and the ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU), had vital roles to play in the
Chandrayaan-3 mission.
The VSSC, ISRO’s lead facility for launch vehicles at Thumba here, was responsible for the hefty
LVM3 rocket that placed the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft in earth orbit on July 14.
The Propulsion Module for the Chandrayaan-3 mission that took the spacecraft to the moon was
configured by the LPSC. The LPSC also developed the propulsion system for the ‘Vikram’ lander
which featured novel technologies including 800N throttle-able engines, eight 58N thrusters, and
two 470-litre propellant tanks. For the LVM3 launch vehicle, LPSC had also designed and
developed the C25 cryogenic stage.
Again, the guidance and navigation systems and sensors for the mission were developed by the
IISU at Vattiyoorkavu.
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Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/moment-of-pride-for-isro-units-in-
thiruvananthapuram/article67228293.ece
Times of India
August 23, 2023
US Govt congratulates ISRO in Hindi for

Chandrayaan-3's historic lunar landing
In a remarkable display of international camaraderie, the United States government congratulated

the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) following the successful touchdown of
Chandrayaan-3 on the lunar surface. The historic achievement was met with a unique and culturally
resonant gesture, as the Hindustani Spokesperson of the US State Department, Margaret MacLeod,
conveyed her congratulations in Hindi. Highlighting the significance of the achievement, MacLeod
emphasised that India's successful landing on the Moon's southern region has solidified its position
as the first nation to accomplish such a feat. The achievement holds profound implications for space
exploration and scientific advancement, marking a significant milestone not only for India but also
for global efforts to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos.
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Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/international/us-govt-congratulates-isro-in-
hindi-for-chandrayaan-3s-historic-lunar-landing/videoshow/103005476.cms
The News Minute

August 23, 2023
After Chandrayaan-3's success, what’s next

for ISRO?
The successful moon landing on August 23 has come as a booster shot for the officials of the Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which is now gearing up for a mission to the Sun.
After Chandrayaan-3's success, what’s next for ISRO?
Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which is now gearing up for a mission to the Sun.
Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which is now gearing up for a mission to the Sun. India on
Wednesday evening successfully landed its moon lander near the South Pole of the moon. Speaking
to reporters, ISRO Chairman S Somanath said the Aditya-L1 satellite for the Sun mission will be
launched during the first week of September.
According to him, the coronagraphy satellite will take about 120 days to travel about 15 lakh km to
reach its destination to study the solar atmosphere. The Aditya-L1 spacecraft -- the first space-based
Indian observatory to study the Sun -- is getting ready for the launch at India’s rocket port in
Sriharikota.
According to the ISRO, the spacecraft will be placed into a halo orbit around the first Lagrange
point, L1, of the Sun-Earth system. The satellite around the L1 point has the major advantage of
continuously viewing the Sun without occultation/eclipses. The Aditya-L1 satellite -- named after
the Sun God -- will be carried by the Indian rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The
satellite will be shortly integrated with the rocket.
The Sun mission will be followed by the Gaganyaan abort mission demonstration, which is part of
India’s human space mission. The Gaganyaan abort mission will happen during September end or
during the first week of October this year, Somanath said.
The Indian space agency is also planning to orbit the INSAT 3DS satellite with its GSLV rocket this
year, Somanath added.
After that, there will be the orbiting of Anwesha satellite and XPoSAT–an X-Ray Polarimeter
Satellite. It will be the country’s dedicated polarimetry mission to study the dynamics of bright
astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions, the government said.
The launch of the Radar Imaging Satellite - RISAT-1B - aboard the PSLV rocket is planned for
2023. The Indian space agency is also planning to orbit two IDRSS (Indian Data Relay Satellite
System) satellites.
These rocketing missions apart, ISRO will be testing the various systems that will go into its LVM3
rocket for its first human space mission. ISRO has also slated a flight to Venus -- Venus Mission --
in 2024.
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Source:https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/after-chandrayaan-3s-success-what-s-next-isro-
181449
Manufacturing Today
August 23, 2023
India’s thriving space business
India’s space industry is valued at $8 billion with a 2% share in the global space economy.
India’s foray into space exploration has been nothing short of remarkable. Over the years, the Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has garnered global recognition for its accomplishments in
satellite launches, lunar missions, and technological advancements. However, the space sector in
India isn’t limited to just governmental efforts; a thriving ecosystem of space startups is also
emerging, contributing to the nation’s journey in the cosmic realm. According to a report in the
Mint, India’s space industry is valued at $8 billion, with a 2% share in the global space economy.
The government spending on space is around $2 billion, and the country has launched 381 foreign
satellites since 1999 for 34 countries, clocking $279 million in revenues. The global space market is
projected to reach $1 trillion by 2040 as per various analysts, while India’s space market is growing
at an annual growth rate of 4% in recent years.
ISRO’s triumphs and collaborations

The Indian Space Research Organisation has made headlines worldwide for its successful missions.
Chandrayaan-2, India’s lunar exploration mission, marked a significant achievement by locating
water molecules on the Moon’s surface. Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) earned India the
distinction of being the first Asian country to reach Martian orbit and the fourth space agency
globally to do so. These feats showcase India’s prowess in space technology. The recent success
story is the soft landing of Chandrayaan 3 on the south pole of the Moon.
Moreover, ISRO’s collaborations with other nations and organisations have further elevated its
status. The launch of foreign satellites using ISRO’s reliable Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
has become a sought-after service, driving India’s commercial space endeavours.
Emergence of space startups
In recent years, India’s space startup ecosystem has gained momentum, with entrepreneurs
venturing into various niches within the space industry. These startups are contributing to satellite
technology, space exploration, Earth observation, and more. Indian space startups have received a
total funding of over $200 million since 2021 and with ISRO’s plan to set up its own space station
by 2030, there is potential for further investments by the private sector. Here are some notable space
startups in India:
1. Pixxel: Focusing on Earth observation, Pixxel aims to provide global coverage by deploying
a constellation of small satellites to monitor agriculture, forestry, disaster management, and
more.
2. Skyroot Aerospace: This startup is building small satellite launch vehicles to provide
domestic and international customers with cost-effective space access.
3. Agnikul Cosmos: Agnikul is developing a small satellite launch vehicle that is highly
customizable, aiming to cater to a wide range of payloads and mission requirements.
4. Bellatrix Aerospace: Specialising in propulsion systems, Bellatrix is developing next-gen
rocket engines using green propulsion technology for satellites and spacecraft.
5. Astrome Technologies: Astrome focuses on space-based internet connectivity by
developing satellites that can provide high-speed internet to remote and underserved areas.
6. Kawa Space: This startup is developing satellite propulsion systems using advanced
technologies to enable precise spacecraft manoeuvring in space.
7. Earth2Orbit: Focused on satellite launch services, Earth2Orbit offers consulting,
technology transfer, and launch coordination for clients seeking to put their payloads into
space.
8. Dhruva Space: Dhruva specializes in developing nanosatellites for various applications,
including Earth observation, communication, and scientific research.
9. Rocketeers: Rocketeers is working on building a reusable launch vehicle system to
significantly reduce the cost of sending payloads into space.
10.NoPo Nanotechnologies: This startup is involved in producing advanced nanomaterials that
can enhance the efficiency of various space technologies.
Looking ahead
India’s space sector is at a pivotal juncture, with ISRO’s achievements inspiring a new generation of
space enthusiasts and entrepreneurs. The increasing participation of startups in the space ecosystem
demonstrates the potential for innovation and growth in this field. As technology advances and
collaborations expand, India’s presence in the cosmos is poised to become even more significant,
contributing to both scientific exploration and economic development. The future of India’s space
business is indeed bright, with the nation marching forward on its celestial odyssey.
India’s space industry is a blend of governmental prowess and entrepreneurial zeal. While ISRO
continues to set new benchmarks in space exploration, startups are carving out their niches and
pushing the boundaries of innovation. This synergy promises a future where India’s achievements in
space will be measured in scientific milestones, commercial success, and global collaboration.
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Source: https://www.manufacturingtodayindia.com/sectors/indias-thriving-space-business
Hindustan Times
August 23, 2023
Chandrayaan-3 lands on the dark side of the Moon!
How NASA, other space agencies reacted
The historic Chandrayaan-3 landing on the Moon's South Pole has elicited amazing reactions from
global space agencies, including NASA and ESA.
India's Chandrayaan-3 lunar landing garners international praise as NASA, ESA, and UK space
agency applaud the historic achievement.
In a groundbreaking achievement, India has secured its place in history as the first nation to
successfully land a spacecraft near the Moon's South Pole. This remarkable feat not only marks a
significant milestone for the world's most populous nation, but also highlights the prowess of its
ambitious, cost-effective space program.
The unmanned Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander named Vikram gracefully touched down at precisely
6:04 pm, sending mission control technicians into ecstatic cheers and embraces. This triumph,
however, was not without its challenges. It came on the heels of a Russian probe's unfortunate crash
in the same lunar region and followed a four-year interval since India's previous lunar landing
attempt ended in disappointment at the eleventh hour.
Global Space Agencies Extend Congratulations
NASA's Administrator, Bill Nelson, took to Twitter to extend his congratulations, saying,
"Congratulations @isro on your successful Chandrayaan-3 lunar South Pole landing! And
congratulations to #India on being the 4th country to successfully soft-land a spacecraft on the
Moon. We're glad to be your partner on this mission!"
The UK Space Agency also joined in the chorus of accolades, stating, "Success! Congratulations to
India for becoming the fourth nation to achieve a soft landing on the Moon! We'll be
communicating with the lander from its position near the lunar South Pole shortly!"
Josef Aschbacher, Director-General of the European Space Agency (ESA), expressed his
amazement on Twitter: "Incredible! Congratulations to @isro, #Chandrayaan_3, and to all the
people of India!! What a way to demonstrate new technologies AND achieve India's first soft
landing on another celestial body. Well done, I am thoroughly impressed. And kudos once again to
@esaoperations for your precious support through this process. We, too, are learning great lessons
and providing crucial expertise. A strong international partner is a powerful partner."
The Chandrayaan-3 mission has captivated the imagination of the global public ever since its launch
nearly six weeks ago, drawing the attention of thousands of cheering spectators. It's worth noting
that Chandrayaan-3's journey to the moon, though longer than the Apollo missions of the 1960s and
1970s, is a testament to India's dedication and commitment to space exploration.
On its part, the ISRO leadership, who managed Chandrayaan-3 made it clear that the failure of their
last moon landing attempt, in 2019, was a major driving force. “From the day we started rebuilding
our spacecraft after Chandaryaan-2 experience, it has been breathe in breathe out Chandrayaan-3 for
our team,” said Kalpana Kalahasti, the ISRO mission's Associate Project Director.
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Source: https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/chandrayaan3-lands-on-the-dark-side-of-the-
moon-how-nasa-other-space-agencies-reacted-71692799533917.html
Deccan Herald
August 23, 2023
Analysis | ISRO's success compared to Pakistan, China's
space agencies
Let's delve in deep today and find out what's happening with our neighbours - China and Pakistan -
in terms of space exploration.
August 23, 2023, was etched in history as its India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft soft-landed
successfully on the uncharted south pole of the Moon on Wednesday -- a mission that was closely
observed not only in the country but across the world.
India now has become only the fourth country to achieve a soft-landing on the Moon, alongside the
United States, Russia, and China.
However, let's delve in deep today and find out what's happening with our neighbours - China and
Pakistan - in terms of space exploration.
ISRO vs CNSA
China is definitely throwing its might as it ups its space technology capabilities. Sample this - in
2021, China alone had more space launches than the United States and all the other Asian countries
combined. China set an unbelievable record in 2021 by launching 55 space missions, whereas in the
same year, India had only two launches.
"China has more orbital launches than USA and all Asian countries put together. In 2021, China had
55 launches and we (India) had only two launches. Via 55 launches, China placed 115 spacecraft, a
total payload mass of more than 191 metric tons in orbit in 2021," says Air Marshal Anil Chopra
(Retd), a veteran Indian Air Force Fighter Pilot and aerospace expert.
He further elaborated that compared to India's launch vehicle - the 4 tonner GSLV-Mk3, China's
Long March 5 rocket is capable of carrying five times more payload than the former. Besides, China
is also working on building heavy-lift rockets which will be capable of launching 50 tons to orbit.
"India's private space companies are doing exceedingly well, whereas China's iSpace, which was
incorporated in 2016 and touted as Asia's first private space company, is struggling. India has all
capabilities in place - Anti-satellite missiles, and the GSLV rockets - but our number of launches is
less. We have a project for Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis (NETRA). There is a
Directorate of Space Situational Awareness and Management. We have a Defence Space Agency
and one day we will have a Space Command," Chopra added.
However, it must be mentioned that China along with the rest of the world watched Chandrayaan-3
successfully land on Moon's south pole - a feat that even China would envy.
ISRO vs SUPARCO
Pakistan's Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) was founded in 1961, a
mind-boggling eight years prior to ISRO's establishment.
Even as India and Pakistan share regional proximity, their trajectories in space exploration differ
significantly. Let's look at some critical factors that have contributed to Pakistan's lag in the space
domain.
One of the reasons attributed to the lag in space exploration is Pakistan's struggle with persistent
economic challenges, hindering significant investments in space research and exploration. The
country is currently facing its worst economic turmoil in decades, with growth slowing to record
low levels amid soaring inflation and interest rates.
The GDP expanded by a meagre 0.29 per cent for the fiscal year ending June 30, the fifth instance
in country's history with growth below 1 per cent, according to the National Accounts Committee
report.
Shortly after Chandrayaan-3 launch, a clip of Pakistan's former minister of Science and Technology,
Fawad Chaudhry, surfaced on social media, in which he seemingly mocks India's Moon mission. He
is heard saying, "Itne papad belne ki zaroorat nahin hai (You don't need to go to such great lengths
for Moon sightings)."
In contrast, Qaisar Rashid, a columnist at Daily Times, praised India's Chandrayaan mission and the
country's achievements in the space and IT sector. He also drew parallels with Pakistan,
highlighting its struggles with internal conflicts and an orthodox education system.
Meanwhile, India is also gearing up for its ambitious maiden human spaceflight mission,
Gaganyaan, scheduled for 2023 or 2024. ISRO is also preparing for its first space expedition to
study the Sun with Aditya L-1.
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Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/science/space/analysis-isros-success-compared-to-pakistan-
chinas-space-agencies-2657928Spaceflight Now
August 23, 2023

India’s Chandrayaan 3 makes successful lunar landing
The first image released from Chandrayaan 3 on the surface shows part of a landing leg and its
accompanying shadow.
India’s space agency said Wednesday it had successfully landed its Chandrayaan 3 robotic probe on
the surface of the Moon. The Chandrayaan 3 lander touched down near the South Pole of the Moon
at about 8:33 a.m. EDT (6:03 p.m. IST).
“We have achieved soft landing on the moon,” said Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Chairman Shri Somanath. “Yes, on the moon!”
Mission Control erupts in celebration with the confirmation of a successful landing of Chandrayaan
3.
Lunar landings have proved challenging recently with the crash of Russia’s Luna 24 probe this
weekend, the loss of the Japanese privately-operated Hakuto-R Mission 1 and the failure of India’s
own Chandrayaan 2 lander in September 2019.
Wednesday’s descent and landing appeared to go flawlessly. Ten minutes after touchdown two
antennae at NASA’s Deep Space Network tracking station at Canberra, Australia, were still
receiving telemetry from the lander.
In an animation displayed on mission control screens, Chandrayaan 3 is seen to hover above the
lunar surface just prior to landing.
Chandrayaan 3 lifted off on July 14, 2023, atop a Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3) from Sriharikota,
India. The name of the mission comes from the Sanskrit words “Chandra- Moon, Yaan-vehicle,”
according to the ISRO.
The lander is carrying a suite of payloads, including a small rover. According to Indian space
agency’s mission profile, both the lander and the rover are expected to have a mission life of just
one lunar day, which translates to 14 Earth days.
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Source:https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/08/23/live-coverage-indias-chandrayaan-3-probe-heads-
for-lunar-landing/
India becomes first nation to land spacecraft near

Moon's south pole
India becomes first nation to land spacecraft near Moon's south pole
India on Wednesday became the first nation to land a craft near the Moon's south pole, a historic
triumph for the world's most populous nation and its ambitious, cut-price space programme.
The unmanned Chandrayaan-3, which means "Mooncraft" in Sanskrit, touched down at 6:04 pm
India time (1234 GMT) as mission control technicians cheered wildly and embraced their
colleagues.
Its landing comes days after a Russian probe crashed in the same region and four years since the
previous Indian attempt failed at the last moment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi smiled broadly and waved an Indian flag on a live broadcast to
announce the mission's success as a triumph that extended beyond his country's borders.
"On this joyous occasion I would like to address the people of the world," said Modi from the
sidelines of the BRICS diplomatic summit in South Africa.
"India's successful moon mission is not just India's alone," he added. "This success belongs to all of
humanity."
The Chandrayaan-3 mission has captivated public attention since launching nearly six weeks ago in
front of thousands of cheering spectators.
Politicians staged Hindu prayer rituals to wish for the mission's success and schoolchildren
followed the final moments of its descent from live broadcasts in classrooms.
- 'So happy' -
"I'm so happy, nothing else has given me more happiness," Anil Kumar, a contract employee for the
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), told AFP as his colleagues celebrated.
"I was praying for the last 48 hours for a safe landing."
Chandrayaan-3 took much longer to reach the Moon than the Apollo missions in the 1960s and
1970s, which arrived in a matter of days.
India used rockets much less powerful than the ones the United States used back then, meaning the
probe had to orbit the Earth several times to gain speed before embarking on its month-long
journey.
The lander, Vikram, which means "valour" in Sanskrit, detached from its propulsion module last
week and has been sending images of the Moon's surface since entering lunar orbit on August 5.
Now that Vikram has landed, a solar-powered rover will explore the surface and transmit data to
Earth over its two-week lifespan.
India is closing in on milestones set by global space powers such as the United States and Russia,
conducting many of its missions at much lower price tags.
The South Asian nation has a comparatively low-budget space programme, but one that has grown
considerably in size and momentum since it first sent a probe to orbit the Moon in 2008.
The latest mission has a cost of $74.6 million -- far lower than those of other countries, and a
testament to India's frugal space engineering.
Experts say India can keep costs low by copying and adapting existing technology, and thanks to an
abundance of highly skilled engineers who earn a fraction of their foreign counterparts' wages.
In 2014, India became the first Asian nation to put a craft into orbit around Mars and is slated to
launch a three-day crewed mission into Earth's orbit by next year.
- 'So much agony' -
Wednesday's landing had been eagerly awaited by ISRO after the frustrating failure of its previous
mission at the last hurdle in 2019.
Back then, mission control lost contact with the Chandrayaan-2 lunar module moments before its
slated landing.
ISRO chief S. Somanath said that many of those who worked on the 2019 mission were involved in
the current endeavour, and that the successful touchdown had vindicated their years of effort.
"They went through so much agony to find out what went wrong," he said. "My salutations to all of
those unsung heroes today."
Former ISRO chief K. Sivan told AFP that India's efforts to explore the relatively unmapped lunar
south pole would make a "very, very important" contribution to scientific knowledge.
Only Russia, the United States and China have previously achieved controlled landings on the
Moon.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan praised the "historic landing", while both NASA and
Russia's Roscosmos space agency offered their congratulations.
Russia launched a lunar probe in August -- its first in nearly half a century.
If successful, it would have beaten Chandrayaan-3 by a matter of days to become the first mission
from any nation to make a controlled landing around the south pole.
But Luna-25 crashed on Saturday after an unspecified incident as it prepared to descend.
One giant step: Moon race heats up
New Delhi (AFP) Aug 23, 2023 - India became the first nation to successfully land a craft on the
Moon's south pole on Wednesday, the latest milestone in a renewed push for lunar exploration that
has drawn in both the world's top space powers and new players.
New Delhi's attempt came days after the crash-landing on the Moon of Russia's Luna-25 probe.
Here is the latest on various missions to the celestial body:
- India's Chandrayaan-3 -
Chandrayaan-3, which means "Mooncraft" in Sanskrit, follows India's successful launch of a probe
into lunar orbit in 2008 and a failed lunar landing in 2019.
The mission launched in mid-July and orbited Earth several times to build up the necessary speed
for its journey.
Following Wednesday's successful landing, a solar-powered rover will explore the surface of the
relatively unmapped lunar south pole and transmit data to Earth over its two-week lifespan.
The mission is the latest milestone in an ambitious but relatively cheap space programme that saw
India become the first Asian nation to put a craft into orbit around Mars in 2014.
The Indian Space Research Organisation is also slated to launch a three-day crewed mission into
Earth's orbit by next year.
- Russia's Luna -
The launch of Luna-25 on August 11 was the first such Russian mission in almost 50 years and
marked the beginning of Moscow's new lunar project.
On August 16, the lander was successfully placed in the Moon's orbit but three days later, it "ceased
to exist following a collision with the Moon's surface", space agency Roscomos said.
It had been set to land on the Moon's surface and remain there for one year to collect samples and
analyse soil.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been working to strengthen space cooperation with China
after ties with the West broke down following the start of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Moscow had hoped to build on the legacy of the Soviet-era Luna programme, marking a return to
independent lunar exploration in the face of financial troubles and corruption scandals at its space
programme.
- China's great leap -

China is pursuing plans to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030 and build a base there.
The world's second-largest economy has invested billions of dollars in its military-run space
programme in a push to catch up with the United States and Russia.
China was the third country to place humans in orbit in 2003 and its Tiangong rocket is the crown
jewel of its space programme, which has also landed rovers on Mars and the Moon.
The unmanned Chang'e-4 rocket landed on the far side of the Moon in 2019. Another robot mission
to the near side raised the Chinese flag there in 2020.
That Moon landing brought rock and soil samples back to Earth, the first time that has been done in
more than four decades.
- NASA's Artemis -
NASA's Artemis 3 mission is set to return humans to the Moon in 2025.
Under the Artemis program, NASA is planning a series of missions of increasing complexity to
return to the Moon and build up a sustained presence so it can develop and test technologies for an
eventual journey to Mars.
Artemis 1 flew an uncrewed spacecraft around the Moon in 2022.
Artemis 2, planned for November 2024, will do the same with crew on board.
NASA sees the Moon as a pitstop for missions to Mars and has done a deal with Finnish mobile
firm Nokia to set up a 4G network there.
However it has said the Artemis 3 mission may not land humans on the Moon. That will depend on
whether certain key elements are finished in time.
Elon Musk's firm SpaceX won the contract for a landing system based on a version of its prototype
Starship rocket, which remains far from ready.
An orbital test flight of the uncrewed Starship ended in a dramatic explosion in April.
- New players -
Recent technological progress has reduced the cost of space missions and opened the way for new
players in the public and private sectors to get involved.
But getting to the Moon is not an easy task. Israeli non-profit organisation SpaceIL launched its
Beresheet lunar lander in 2019 but it crashed.
And in April this year, Japan's ispace was the latest company to try, and fail, at the historic bid to
put a private lunar lander on the Moon.
Two US companies, Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines, are set to try later in the year.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source:https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/
India_becomes_first_nation_to_land_spacecraft_near_Moons_south_pole_999.html Mint
Space Daily
August 23, 2023
One giant step: Moon race heats up
India became the first nation to successfully land a craft on the Moon's south pole on Wednesday,
the latest milestone in a renewed push for lunar exploration that has drawn in both the world's top
space powers and new players.
New Delhi's attempt came days after the crash-landing on the Moon of Russia's Luna-25 probe.
Here is the latest on various missions to the celestial body:
- India's Chandrayaan-3 -
Chandrayaan-3, which means "Mooncraft" in Sanskrit, follows India's successful launch of a probe
into lunar orbit in 2008 and a failed lunar landing in 2019.
The mission launched in mid-July and orbited Earth several times to build up the necessary speed
for its journey.
Following Wednesday's successful landing, a solar-powered rover will explore the surface of the
relatively unmapped lunar south pole and transmit data to Earth over its two-week lifespan.
The mission is the latest milestone in an ambitious but relatively cheap space programme that saw
India become the first Asian nation to put a craft into orbit around Mars in 2014.
The Indian Space Research Organisation is also slated to launch a three-day crewed mission into
Earth's orbit by next year.
- Russia's Luna -
The launch of Luna-25 on August 11 was the first such Russian mission in almost 50 years and
marked the beginning of Moscow's new lunar project.
On August 16, the lander was successfully placed in the Moon's orbit but three days later, it "ceased
to exist following a collision with the Moon's surface", space agency Roscomos said.
It had been set to land on the Moon's surface and remain there for one year to collect samples and
analyse soil.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been working to strengthen space cooperation with China
after ties with the West broke down following the start of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Moscow had hoped to build on the legacy of the Soviet-era Luna programme, marking a return to
independent lunar exploration in the face of financial troubles and corruption scandals at its space
programme.
- China's great leap -
China is pursuing plans to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030 and build a base there.
The world's second-largest economy has invested billions of dollars in its military-run space
programme in a push to catch up with the United States and Russia.
China was the third country to place humans in orbit in 2003 and its Tiangong rocket is the crown
jewel of its space programme, which has also landed rovers on Mars and the Moon.
The unmanned Chang'e-4 rocket landed on the far side of the Moon in 2019. Another robot mission
to the near side raised the Chinese flag there in 2020.
That Moon landing brought rock and soil samples back to Earth, the first time that has been done in
more than four decades.
- NASA's Artemis -
NASA's Artemis 3 mission is set to return humans to the Moon in 2025.
Under the Artemis program, NASA is planning a series of missions of increasing complexity to
return to the Moon and build up a sustained presence so it can develop and test technologies for an
eventual journey to Mars.
Artemis 1 flew an uncrewed spacecraft around the Moon in 2022.
Artemis 2, planned for November 2024, will do the same with crew on board.
NASA sees the Moon as a pitstop for missions to Mars and has done a deal with Finnish mobile
firm Nokia to set up a 4G network there.
However it has said the Artemis 3 mission may not land humans on the Moon. That will depend on
whether certain key elements are finished in time.
Elon Musk's firm SpaceX won the contract for a landing system based on a version of its prototype
Starship rocket, which remains far from ready.
An orbital test flight of the uncrewed Starship ended in a dramatic explosion in April.
- New players -
Recent technological progress has reduced the cost of space missions and opened the way for new
players in the public and private sectors to get involved.
But getting to the Moon is not an easy task. Israeli non-profit organisation SpaceIL launched its
Beresheet lunar lander in 2019 but it crashed.
And in April this year, Japan's ispace was the latest company to try, and fail, at the historic bid to
put a private lunar lander on the Moon.
Two US companies, Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines, are set to try later in the year.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source:https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/One_giant_step_Moon_race_heats_up_999.html
Hindustan Times
August 23, 2023
Now, Japan's space agency JAXA to launch Moon
mission: Check date, other details
The main aim of the mission is to demonstrate accurate lunar landing techniques, which will
help make more challenging landing areas more accessible.
The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is gearing up for the launch of Smart Lander
or SLIM for investigating the Moon on August 26 - just three days after the scheduled
Chandrayaan-3's soft landing. According to media reports, the lander is scheduled to launch as a
"ride-share" payload with the XRISM mission on an H2A booster from the Tanegashima Space
Center in Japan at 00:34:57 UTC (6:04 am IST).
Japan to launch Moon ‘Sniper’ lander on August 26
Here are the details about the mission:

1. Reportedly, the main aim of the mission is to demonstrate accurate lunar landing techniques,
which will help make more challenging landing areas more accessible. “LUNAR-A will
directly investigate the interior of the Moon, which could provide a lot of data on the
Moon’s origin and evolution,”
2. The SLIM lander which is .9 feet (2.4 meters) high, 8.8 feet (2.7 m) wide, and 5.6 feet (1.7
m) deep, will aim to touch down within 328 feet (100 m) of its target point.
3. The SLIM spacecraft is reportedly equipped with a landing radar for its descent onto the
lunar surface and will use image-matching navigation and obstacle detection.
4. The mission will be targeting a landing within Shioli Crater, a relatively fresh, 984-foot-
wide (300 m) impact feature within Mare Nectaris, at 13 degrees south latitude and 25
degrees east longitude on the near side of the moon, reported Space.com.
5. According to JAXA, the SLIM architecture could make landing on the moon and planets
more economical, save weight, and could lead to small, targeted sample return missions.
Meanwhile, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), several lunar
exploration programs are set to be launched in the next couple of years including Peregrine Mission
1 - NASA CLPS Lunar Lander, IM-1 - NASA CLPS Lunar Lander, Lunar Trailblazer - NASA
Lunar Orbiting Small Satellite, Griffin Mission 1 - VIPER - NASA Lunar South Pole Rover, among
others.
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Source:https://www.hindustantimes.com/science/now-japans-space-agency-jaxa-to-launch-moon-
mission-check-date-other-details-101692684262093.html
Space Daily
August 23, 2023
Venus Parker Solar Probe toward record-setting flights
around the Sun
Parker Solar Probe was developed as part of NASA's Living With a Star program to explore aspects
of the Sun-Earth system that directly affect life and society. The Living With a Star program is
managed by the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for NASA's Science
Mission Directorate in Washington. APL designed, built, and operates the spacecraft and manages
the mission for NASA.
NASA's Parker Solar Probe zoomed past Venus on Aug. 21, using the planet's gravity to aim toward
a record-setting series of flights around the Sun that start next month. At just before 8:03 a.m. EDT,
moving approximately 15 miles (more than 24 kilometers) per second, Parker Solar Probe passed
2,487 miles (4,003 kilometers) above the Venusian surface as it curved around the planet toward the
inner solar system.
The mission operations team at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel,
Maryland, kept in contact with the spacecraft during the flyby through NASA's Deep Space
Network - except for an expected 8 minutes at closest approach, when Venus was between Earth
and Parker - and determined the spacecraft was on course and operating normally.
"Parker Solar Probe remains on track to make its closest flybys yet of the Sun," said Nick Pinkine,
Parker Solar Probe mission operations manager from APL. "Parker's success is a tribute to the entire
mission team, but I'm especially proud of the mission operators and the job they've done over the
past five years to ensure the flawless operation of this incredible, history-making spacecraft."
Venus gravity assists are essential to guiding Parker Solar Probe progressively closer to the Sun; the
spacecraft relies on the planet to reduce its orbital energy, which in turn allows it to travel closer to
the Sun - where, since 2018, it has been exploring the origins and unlocking the secrets of the solar
wind and other properties of the near-Sun environment at their source.
This was the Parker mission's sixth of seven planned Venus gravity assists. This week's flyby served
as an orbit maneuver applying a velocity change - called "delta-V" - on Parker Solar Probe,
reducing its orbital speed by about 5,932 miles per hour (9,547 kilometers per hour).
The maneuver changed the spacecraft's orbit and set Parker Solar Probe up for its next five close
passes by the Sun, the first of which occurs on Sept. 27. On each close approach (known as
perihelion), Parker Solar Probe will set or match its own speed and distance records when it comes
to within just 4.5 million miles (7.3 million kilometers) from the solar surface, while moving close
to 394,800 miles per hour.
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Venus_Parker_Solar_Probe_toward_record_setting_flights_around_the_Sun_999.htmlSpacedaily
August 23, 2023
Mint
August 23, 2023
Japan's space agency to launch XRISM and SLIM
moon Sniper spacecraft on 26 August. All you need to
know
Japan's JAXA to launch XRISM and SLIM spacecraft on 26 August. SLIM aims to demonstrate
accurate landing techniques, while XRISM will study the universe's hottest regions and objects with
the strongest gravity.
NASA and JAXA's joint initiative, XRISM spacecraft ,is all set to launch its SLIM Lunar lander on
August 26
In a crucial moment for Japan's Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), X-Ray Imaging and
Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) spacecraft along with Smart Lander for Investigating Moon
(SLIM), are set for a launch on 26 August.
SLIM and XRISM are two different payloads with different aims and objectives. JAXA's SLIM set
to land on Moon at 00:34:57 UTC from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. The two will ride a
Mitsubishi H-IIA launch vehicle. It has clocked up over 30 successful missions in a row since 2005.
XRISM is a joint initiative of NASA and JAXA. The ambitious mission of the two international
space agencies will study the universe’s hottest regions, largest structures, and objects with the
strongest gravity. Whereas, JAXA's SLIM aims to demonstrate accurate landing techniques by a
small explorer. Know more about the Japan's space agency's lunar lander.
All about JAXA's SLIM moon Sniper
JAXA's SLIM will demonstrate landing techniques by a small explorer. This will give an impetus to
Moon and planet study through lighter exploration systems. It is scheduled to launch as a “ride-
share" payload with XRISM.
The space agency claims that the successful landing of SLIM will "make a qualitative shift towards
being able to land where we want and not just where it is easy to land." The spacecraft also has
high-resolution cameras and an image processing algorithm. The smart lander would be able to
calculate and finalising an optimal spot for landing on the basis of information of craters and their
position. The main test of the lander would be how accurate it would be to land on the desired
location.
All about JAXA's XRISM spacecraft
Another space mission of the space agency is a joint effort with NASA. It will study the universe’s
hottest regions, largest structures, and objects with the strongest gravity.
The spacecraft would be able to detect X-ray light from gas released from galaxy clusters and help
astronomers to measure the total mass of these systems. This will reveal information about the
formation and evolution of the Universe, according to European Space Agency. XRISM's
observations of galaxy clusters will also provide insight into how the chemical elements were
produced and distributed by the Universe.
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Source: https://www.livemint.com/science/news/japans-space-agency-to-launch-xrism-and-slim-
moon-sniper-spacecraft-26-august-nasa-mission-to-moon-jaxa-lunar-mission-
11692682731077.html
Zee News
August 23, 2023
'Luna-25 Crashed Because...' Russian Space Agency
Director Reveals Why Moon Mission Failed This Time
The spacecraft was in contact with Roscosmos up until 2:57 p.m. local time on Saturday, when
contact was lost. The spacecraft then entered an open lunar orbit and eventually crashed.
New Delhi: Russia’s first moon mission ‘Luna-25’ in the nearly 50 years failed on August 20 to
make a soft landing on the dark side of the Moon. It crashed onto the Moon’s surface after losing
control due to ‘technical glitch’.
Luna-25 was also aiming to land near the south pole similarly to ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3.
Now, Yury Borisov, the Director General of Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, explained why
Luna-25 failed to make a soft landing on the Moon’s surface. He said that engines didn’t shut down
at the proper time, resulting in an uncontrolled descent of the lander onto the moon’s surface.
The spacecraft was in contact with Roscosmos up until 2:57 p.m. local time on Saturday, when
contact was lost. The spacecraft then entered an open lunar orbit and eventually crashed.
What’s the main reason of this failure?
Borisov attributed the failure to the interruption of Russia’s lunar program for nearly 50 years.
Russia (erstwhile Soviet) sent its last spacecraft to the Moon in 1976. “The negative experience of
interrupting the lunar program for almost 50 years is the main reason for the failures," said Borisov.
Russia launched ‘Luna-25’ on August 10 as it had the powerful rocket to send the spacecraft
directly to the Moon’s orbit.
It lost contact during the last maneuvere to the Russia’s space station and entered in a free orbit of
the Moon before crashing into it.
Chandrayaan-3’s lander ‘Vikram’ will attempt to make a soft landing near the south pole on August
23, around 5:20 pm IST. It is scheduled to land on the Moon around 6:02 pm.
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Source:https://zeenews.india.com/world/luna-25-crashed-because-russian-space-agency-director-
reveals-why-moon-mission-failed-this-time-2652078.html
Space Daily
August 23, 2023
Rocket Lab Launches 40th Electron Mission,
Successfully Flies Reused Engine
Rocket Lab launches 40th Electron mission, successfully flies reused engine
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) has launched a dedicated Electron mission for Capella
Space (Capella). The mission demonstrated several significant milestones for Rocket Lab's
reusability program, including an ocean splashdown of the Electron rocket's first stage and the
successful flight of a previously flown Rutherford engine. The mission was also Rocket Lab's 40th
Electron launch since the Company began launches in 2017, further cementing Electron's position
as the leading commercial small launch vehicle globally.
The 'We Love The Nightlife' mission lifted-off on August 24th at 11:45 am NZST from Rocket Lab
Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula, deploying Capella's next-generation Acadia
satellite for its synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation to a 640km circular low Earth orbit.
As a recovery mission, Electron's first stage returned to Earth under a parachute after launch and
splashed down in the Pacific Ocean several hundred kilometers down range from Launch Complex
1. Rocket Lab's marine recovery vessel will soon extract the stage from the ocean and transport it
back to Rocket Lab's production complex for analysis and testing to inform future recovery efforts.
In addition to recovering the booster, Rocket Lab launched a pre-flown 3D printed Rutherford
engine for the first time. The engine previously flew on the first stage of the 'There and Back Again'
mission, launched in May 2022. The engine performed on par with new Rutherford engines,
completing a successful first stage burn.
The mission follows on from Rocket Lab's two previous launches for Capella, including the
"Stronger Together" mission launched in March 2023 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 in
Virginia, and the "I Can't Believe It's Not Optical" mission in August 2020 from Launch Complex 1
in New Zealand, which deployed the first satellite in Capella's SAR constellation. 'We Love the
Nightlife' was the first of four new dedicated launches on Electron for Capella, announced in
February 2023, to deploy Capella's next-generation Acadia satellites.
Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck, says: "We've been a trusted launch partner to Capella
since 2020 and we're delighted to deliver mission success once again. Electron has played a crucial
role in helping constellation operators like Capella deploy their spacecraft on time and on target,
and we look forward to continuing building out Capella's constellation with more dedicated
launches this year.
"Congratulations also to our team on delivering 40 Electron launches, completing another booster
recovery, and proving Rutherford engines can be flown multiple times. One mission is an enormous
achievement in this industry, but 40 is a rare achievement and testament to the relentless drive,
innovation and dedication of the Rocket Lab team."
Capella's existing satellite constellation delivers the highest quality and resolution SAR imagery
commercially available, with the ability to penetrate all weather conditions and capture clear
imagery 24-7, day and night, delivered through a fully-automated ordering and delivery platform.
The next-generation Acadia satellites include several enhancements, including increased bandwidth
and power and faster downlink speeds. When combined with Capella's existing long-dwell imaging
capability and extended duty-cycle - which results in more images collected per orbit than other
SAR systems - Acadia will continue to set the benchmark within the SAR industry.
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Rocket_Lab_Launches_40th_Electron_Mission_Successfully_Flies_Reused_Engine_999.html
Space Daily
August 23, 2023
Profound lessons to be learned from modern-day lunar
missions
Russia's State Space Corporation Roscosmos announced on Sunday that its Luna-25 module had
crashed onto the moon surface after it went into an unplanned orbit.
The Russian lunar detector was sent into lunar orbit on August 11 and had hoped to beat India's
Moon Mission-3 to become the first to land on the south pole region of the moon. The same day, the
Indian Space Research Organization announced that its Moon Mission-3 will land on the lunar
surface on August 23.
The lunar mission was launched on July 14 and if successful, India will become the fourth country
to soft-land on the surface of the moon, after the United States, the Soviet Union and China.
Earlier, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration publicly said that if the development
of key systems cannot keep up, the Artemis 3 manned lunar landing program may eventually drop
the plan to land astronauts on the moon.
The erstwhile Soviet Union was once the world's leading space power, triggering a race to the moon
with the US. After nearly half a century, the Russians restarted the lunar landing project, using the
same earlier Soviet-era code name of Luna-25. Russia would have become the first country to soft
land on the moon's south pole, but the Roscosmos statement brings that ambition to a halt for now.
The renewed race to the moon attaches greater value to investment efficiency and returns, and
almost all projects are aimed at lunar resources and the value of the moon as a transit station for
space activities. Russia chose to land on the south pole of the moon because it hopes to find solid
water on the side of the moon where the sun never shines, while the US' Artemis project adopts a
commercial bidding model. Commercial companies are even directly involved in Japan and Israel
with a lot of foreign ready-made technologies used, and India tries to use mature technology so as to
reduce costs and development risks and difficulties.
However, unlike in the Cold Warera, the modern lunar mission race seems not to have sailed
smoothly, even encountering a "hard landing" because of political factors. Lunar exploration is a
science, in which nonscientific factors only make things worse. This is probably the most profound
lesson brought to us by the renewed lunar contest between major powers.
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Profound_lessons_to_be_learned_from_modern_day_lunar_missions_999.html
Space Daily
August 23, 2023
NASA selects geology team for the first crewed Artemis
landing
Artist's Illustration: A suited crew members work on the lunar surface.

NASA has selected the geology team that will develop the surface science plan for the first crewed
lunar landing mission in more than 50 years. NASA's Artemis III mission will land astronauts,
including the first woman to land on the Moon, near the lunar South Pole to advance scientific
discovery and pave the way for long-term lunar exploration.
"Science is one of the pillars of Artemis," said Dr. Nicky Fox, NASA Science Associate
Administrator. "This team will be responsible for leading the geology planning for humanity's first
return to the lunar surface in more than 50 years, ensuring that we maximize the science return of
Artemis and grow in our understanding of our nearest celestial neighbor."
The Artemis III Geology Team, led by principal investigator Dr. Brett Denevi of the Johns Hopkins
University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, will work with the agency to determine
the mission's geological science objectives and design the geology surface campaign that the
Artemis astronauts will carry out on the Moon during this historic mission. These objectives will be
defined in accordance with the established Artemis science priorities.
"Selecting this team marks an important step in our efforts to optimize the science return of Artemis
III. This team of well-respected lunar scientists has demonstrated experience with science
operations, sample analysis, and operational flexibility, all of which is critical for the successful
incorporation of science during Artemis III," said Dr. Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator
for exploration in NASA's Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
"With the establishment of the Artemis III Geology Team, we are ensuring that NASA will build a
strong lunar science program."
The other co-investigators on the Artemis III Geology Team are:
Dr. Lauren Edgar (deputy principal investigator), U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, Virginia
Dr. Bradley Jolliff, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri
Dr. Caleb Fassett, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Dana Hurley, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Gordon Osinski, University of Western Ontario in London
Dr. Jennifer Heldmann, NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California
Dr. Jose Hurtado, University of Texas at El Paso
Dr. Juliane Gross, Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey
Dr. Katherine Joy, University of Manchester in the United Kingdom
Dr. Mark Robinson, Arizona State University in Tempe
Dr. Yang Liu, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California
The Geology Team's focus will be to plan the Artemis III astronauts' science activities during their
moonwalks, which will include field geology traverses, observations, and the collection of lunar
samples, imagery, and scientific measurements. The team will also support the real-time
documentation and initial assessment of scientific data during astronaut lunar operations. Members
will then evaluate the data returned by the mission, including preliminary examination and
cataloguing of the first lunar samples collected by NASA since 1972.
"The Artemis III Geology Team will have the unique opportunity to analyze the first-ever samples
from the lunar south pole region, helping us not only to unlock new information about the formation
of our Solar System, but also with planning for future Artemis missions and establishing a long-
term lunar presence," said Jim Free, Associate Administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems
Mission Directorate.
The collection of samples and data from this region, which contains some of the oldest parts of the
Moon, estimated to be at least 3.85 billion years old, will help scientists better understand
fundamental planetary processes that operate across the solar system and beyond.
The resulting analysis from the geology team's activities could also help yield important
information about the depth, distribution, and composition of ice at the Moon's South Pole. This
information is valuable from both a scientific and a resource perspective because oxygen and
hydrogen can be extracted from lunar ice to be used for life support systems and fuel.
The team, which was chosen through a dual-anonymous peer review process, will have a budget of
$5.1 million to lead the geology for Artemis III.
The members of this geology team are part of the broader Artemis Science Team and will work in
coordination with Artemis III Project Scientist, Dr. Noah Petro, and the NASA Artemis Internal
Science Team, as well as participating scientists, and deployed payload teams that will be selected
from future or ongoing competitive solicitations.
Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon,
establishing a long-term, sustainable lunar presence to explore more of the lunar surface than ever
before and prepare for future astronaut missions to Mars.
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NASA_selects_geology_team_for_the_first_crewed_Artemis_landing_999.html
Manorama
August 23, 2023
അഭിമാന ിന്െറ വിജയപൗർണമി
HIGHLIGHTS
ച യാൻ: ല േബാധ ിന്െറയും കൂ ാ യുെടയും ഗംഭീരവിജയം
രാജ മാെക കാ ിരു , കാേതാർ ിരു ചാ ർശ ിന്െറ

വിളംബരം വ ുകഴി ു. ഈ ഗംഭീരവിജയ ിൽ െതളിയു ു ്,
ന ുെട അഭിമാന ിന്െറ സു രപൗർണമി.
ച ന്െറ ദ ിണ ധുവ ിൽ ച യാൻ 3 ലാൻഡർ െമാഡ ൂൾ ഇ െല

ഇറ ിയേ ാൾ ഇതുവെര ഒരു രാജ വും ൈകവരി ി ി ാ േന ം
ഇ യ് ുസ മാകു ു; ബഹിരാകാശ ചരി ത ിൽ നാം കെ ിയ
പുതിയ ഉയരം. ഇ ൻ ബഹിരാകാശ ഗേവഷണ ാപനം
(ഐഎസ്ആർഒ) ച നിൽ ചാർ ിയ ഈ കെ ാ ിലു ത്
ചാ ഗേവഷണ ളുെട ദീർഘപാതയിെല നിർണായകേന മാണ്. 2019 െല
‘ച യാൻ 2’ ദൗത ം അവസാനനിമിഷം ച നിൽ ലാൻഡർ
ഇറ ുേ ാഴു ായ െചറുതകരാർ കാരണം പരാജയെ ടുകയായിരു ു.
അതിന്െറ േപാരാ കളിൽനി ു പാഠം ഉൾെ ാ ു ഇേ ാഴെ

ദൗത ം, തിരി ടികെള അതിജീവി ് ഉയരാനു ഐഎസ്ആർഒ
മികവിന്െറ െതളിവായി ഇനി എ ാല ും ബഹിരാകാശ
ചരി ത ിലു ാവും.
നാൽപതു വർഷം നീ അേന ഷണ ിന്െറ ആദ െ

ഉ രമായിരു ു ഇ യുെട പഥമ ചാ ദൗത ം 2008 ൽ േലാക ിനു
സ ാനി ത്: ച നിൽ ജലസാ ിധ മു ്. 1969 ൽ ച നിൽ മനുഷ ൻ
കാലുകു ിയേശഷം ശാസ് തജ്ഞർ ു ലഭി ു ഏ വും
സു പധാനമായ അറിവായിരു ു അത്. ച യാൻ 3 തുറ ുതരു ത്
അറിവിന്െറ അന ഖനിയാകുെമ ാണു പതീ . ഇേതാെട പല
ചാ രഹസ ളും ഇ യുെട കാേതാരെ ുെമ ു കരുതു ു.
വ ത ശാസ് തീയ പഠന ൾ ു 7 ഉപകരണ െളയാണ്
(േപേലാഡുകൾ) ച യാൻ ദൗത ം ചേ ാപരിതല ിെല ി ു ത്.
അവിടെ പാറകളും മ ും മ ു രൂപസവിേശഷതകളും
അറിയു തിേനാെടാ ം ച ന്െറ ഉദ്ഭവെ ിയും
പരിണാമെ ിയുമു വിവര ളും ഇതിലൂെട നമു ു ലഭി ും.
ഭാവി ബഹിരാകാശ ദൗത ളിെല ഇട ാവളമായും ച െന മാ ാനാകും.
യുഎസ്, േസാവിയ ് യൂണിയൻ, ൈചന എ ീ രാജ ൾ മാ തമാണ്

ഇതിനുമുൻപ ് ച നിൽ േസാഫ് ് ലാൻഡിങ ് നട ിയി ു ത്.
ച നിലിറ ം എത ദുഷ്കരമാെണ ് അടയാളെ ടു ു തായി,
ച യാൻ 3 വിേ പി േശഷം റഷ വിേ പി ലൂണ 25 ന്െറ പരാജയം.
1961 ൽ യൂറി ഗഗാറിനിലൂെട ആദ സ ാരിെയയും 1963 ൽ വാലന്റീന
െതരഷ്േകാവയിലൂെട ആദ വനിതാസ ാരിെയയും
ബഹിരാകാശെ ി ാൻ കഴി റഷ പരാജയെ ിട ാണ് ഇ
ഇേ ാൾ വിജയി ു െത തും ചരി തം. 1976 നു േശഷം ഒേരെയാരു രാജ ം
മാ തമാണ ് ച നിൽ ലാൻഡർ ഇറ ിയത്– ൈചന. ച യാൻ 2 (2019),
ഇ സേയലിന്െറ െബറഷീ ് (2019), യുഎഇയുെട റാഷിദ ് േറാവർ (2023)
തുട ിയവ ച നിലിറ ാൻ ശമി ു പരാജയെ ദൗത ളാണ്.
യുഎസിന്െറ അേ ാേളാ 11 ദൗത ിലൂെട മനുഷ ൻ ആദ മായി

ച നിൽ കാൽെതാ ് മൂ ാ കഴി േ ാഴാണ ് ഇ യുെട സ ം
ബഹിരാകാശ ഗേവഷണ ാപനം രൂപം െകാ ത്, 1969 െല
സ ാത ദിന ിൽ. ഐഎസ്ആർഒ ഇ ു േലാക ് ഏ വും
വിശ ാസ തയു ബഹിരാകാശ സംഘടനകളിെലാ ായതിനു
േഡാ.േഹാമി െജ.ഭാഭ, േഡാ.വി കം സാരാഭായ ് തുട ിയ പഗല്ഭേരാടു
നമു ു ന ിപറയാം. തിരുവന പുരം തു യിെല കടൽ ീര ുനി ്
60 വർഷം മുൻപ ് ഉയർ ആദ േറാ ് ഇ ൻ
ബഹിരാകാശ ുതി ിന്െറ ശുേഭാദർ മായ തുട മാണ്
അടയാളെ ടു ിയത്. തു േക ിൽ നിേയാഗി െ ആദ െ
ശാസ് ത രിൽ ഒരാളായിരു ു മുൻ രാഷ് ടപതി േഡാ.എ.പി.െജ.അ ുൽ
കലാം. അവെരാെ യും ക സ ളാണ് ഇേ ാൾ യാഥാർഥ മായിെ
◌ാ ിരി ു ത്.
ച യാൻ മൂ ിെല ലാൻഡിങ് വിജയകരമായാൽ ഭാവിയിൽ െചാ യിേലാ

മ ു ഗഹ ളിേലാ ലാൻഡറിെന ഇറ ി പര േവ ണം നട ാൻ നമു ു
കുെറ ൂടി കരു ു ലഭി ുെമ ് ഐഎസ്ആർഒ െചയർമാൻ
എസ്.േസാമനാഥ ് ‘മലയാള മേനാരമ’യ് ു നൽകിയ അഭിമുഖ ിൽ
പറ ിരു ു. ആ കരു ാണ ് ല േബാധമു കൂ ാ യിൽനി ്
ഇ െല ൈകവ ത്. ച യാൻ ദൗത ിനു പി ാെല സൂര നിേല ാണ്
ഐഎസ്ആർഒയുെട അടു േനാ ം. ഇ യുെട പഥമ സൗരദൗത മായ
‘ആദിത യാൻ’ വിേ പണ ിനു ഒരു ൾ
േവഗ ിലാ ിയിരി ു ു.
രാജ ം ഇേ ാൾ േനടിയ ചരി തേന ം സ ീർണമായ ഏതു

സാേ തികവിദ യിലും നമു ു കെ ാ ു ചാർ ാനാവുെമ ും
േലാകരാഷ് ട ൾ ുമു ിൽ തലയുയർ ിനിൽ ാെമ ും
ഒരി ൽ ൂടി െതളിയി ു ു. ഉയര ളിേല ് ഇ െയ
െകാ ുേപാകു തിന്, ഏതു സ പ്നവും ദൂെരയെ ്
ഓർമി ി ു തിന ് ഐഎസ്ആർഒേയാടു നമു ു തിവർണസു രമായ
ന ി പറയാം; അവരുെട കൂടുതൽ വാനവിജയ ൾ ായി
ആശംസകേളാെട കാ ിരി ാം.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source:https://www.manoramaonline.com/news/editorial/2023/08/24/editorial-about-successful-
landing-of-chandrayaan-3.html
Manorama
August 23, 2023
മ രം ച നിെല െവ ിന്?; ലൂണാർ ഐസ ് ല മി ്
ദൗത ൾദ ിണ ധുവ ിേല ്
ച യാൻ 3 ച നിൽ ഇറ ിയ ല ുനി ു ചി തം.

ഇ യുെട ചാ ദൗത മായ ച യാൻ 3 ഇറ ിയത ് ച ന്െറ
ദ ിണ ധുവ ിലാണ്. ആ പേദശ ിന ് ഒരു പേത കതയു ്. ലൂണാർ
ഐസ ് എ ശീതീകരി െ ജലസാ ിധ ം ഏെറയു േമഖലയാണ്
ദ ിണ ധുവം. പല രാജ ളിെല ബഹിരാകാശ ഏജൻസികളും സ കാര
ക നികളും ഈ ജലസാ ിധ െ വളെര പധാനെ തായാണ്
കണ ാ ു ത്. അതിനു കാരണവുമു ്. ച െന ഒരു
േകാളനിയാ ാനു മ രമാേണാ ഇതിനു പി ിൽ? ച നിൽ ഖനനം
ഉൾെ െടയു പവർ ന ൾ ും വരും നാളുകളിൽ സാ ം
വഹിേ ി വേ ാം.
പിയ ഭാരതേമ തിള ു ു, ച െനേ ാെല നിൻ മുഖം; ച യാൻ 3

ലാൻഡിങ് വിജയം, ചരി തേന ം
∙ ച നിലു ് ‘െവ ം’
ആദ അേ ാേളാ േപടകം എ ു തിനു മുൻപ ് 1960 കളുെട

തുട ിൽ െ ച നിൽ ജലമു ാകാെമ ് ശാസ് ത ർ
നിരീ ി ിരു ു. അേ ാേളാ ദൗത ിൽ േശഖരി സാംപിളുകൾ
വിലയിരു ിയേ ാൾ (1970 കളിൽ) ജലസാ ിധ ിന്െറ സൂചന
ലഭി ിരു ി . എ ാൽ 2008 ൽ ബൗൺ സർവകലാശാല ഗേവഷകർ ഇേത
സാംപിളുകളിൽ അത ാധുനിക സാേ തിക വിദ ഉപേയാഗി ു
ഗേവഷണം നട ിയേ ാൾ ൈഹ ഡജന്െറ തൻമാ തകൾ കെ ി.
2009 ൽ ഐഎസ്ആർഒ വിേ പി ച യാൻ 1 ദൗത ിന്െറ

ഭാഗമായിരു നാസയുെട ഉപകരണം ചേ ാപരിതല ിൽ
െവ ിന്െറ കണികകൾ ിരീകരി ു. അേതവർഷം നാസ നട ിയ
പഠന ിൽ ദ ിണ ധുവ ിൽ ച ന്െറ ഉപരിതല ിനടിയിൽ
ശീതീകരി െ നിലയിൽ ജലസാ ിധ ം കെ ുകയും െച ു.
ദ ിണ ധുവ ിെല കുഴികളിൽ ശീതീകരി െ ജലം കൂടിയ
അളവിലുെ തിന്െറ െതളിവ ് 1998 െല നാസയുെട ലൂണാർ
േ പാസ്െപ ർ ദൗത ം കെ ിയിരു ു.
∙ കുടിെവ ം, പാണവായു?
ച ന്െറ ഉപരിതല ിലും ഉ ിലും ശീതീകരി െ നിലയിലു

ജലസാ ിധ ിൽനി ് ച െന ുറി ും ഭൂമിെയ ുറി ും
സമു ദ െള ുറി ും കൂടുതൽ അറിയാനാകുെമ ാണ ് ഗേവഷകരുെട
പതീ . ചേ ാപരിതല ിെല അ ിപർവത ൾ, ഭൂമിയിേല ്
എ െ ഉൽ കൾ, ഛി ഗഹം എ ിവയുെട ഘടക ൾ,
സമു ദ ളുെട ഉദ്ഭവം തുട ിയവ പഠി ും. ആവശ ിനു െവ ം
ഉെ ിൽ ചാ പര േവ ണ ിന ് കുടിെവ മായി ഉപേയാഗി ാൻ
സാധി ും. ഉപകരണ ൾ തണു ി ാനും സഹായി ും. ജല ിന്െറ
ത ാ തകെള വിഘടി ി ് ൈഹ ഡജനും ഓ ിജനുമാ ി േവർതിരി ്,
അത് ഊർജ ഉപേഭാഗ ിന് ഉപേയാഗി ാനും പാണവായുവാ ി മാ ാനും
സാധി ും. െചാ ാ ദൗത െ യും ച നിെല ഖനനെ യും
സഹായി ാനും സാധിേ ും.
അേതസമയം, 1967 െല യുഎൻ ഉ ാ ിയ ബഹിരാകാശ കരാർ

അനുസരി ് ച നിൽ ആെര ിലും ഉടമ ാവകാശം ഉ യി ു ത്
വില ിയി ു ്. എ ാൽ, വാണിജ ആവശ ൾ ് ഉപേയാഗി ു ത്
വില ിയി ി . യുഎസിന്െറ േനതൃത ിൽ ച നിൽ സ ീകരിേ
നയം എെ ്വ മാ ി ഒരു കരാർ തയാറാ ിയിരു ു. ആർെ മിസ്
അേ ാർ ് എ തിൽ 27 രാജ ൾ ഒ ി ി ുെ ിലും റഷ യും
ൈചനയും പ ുേചർ ി ി .
∙എ ുെകാ ്ദ ിണ ധുവം?
ച നിലിറ ാനു പല ശമ ളും പലവ ം പരാജയെ ി ു ്. ഏ വും

അവസാനം റഷ യുെട ലൂണ 25 ആണ ് തകർ ുവീണത്. മുൻപ ് പല
ദൗത ളും ല മിടാ േമഖലയാണ ് ദ ിണ ധുവം. കുഴികളും
ആഴേമറിയ കിട ുകളും ഉൾെ ടു േമഖലയാണിത്. യുഎസും
ൈചനയും ദ ിണ ധുവം ല മി ് ദൗത ം ഒരു ു ു ്.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: https://www.manoramaonline.com/news/latest-news/2023/08/23/why-are-countries-racing-
to-the-moons-heavily-cratered-south-pole.htmlIndian Express

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IISU Branch Library Space News Service 24 August 2023

Launch vehicle LVM-3 carrying the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

ISRO’s satellite programmes

Launch vehicle programmes

As Chandrayaan-3 touches down on Moon’s

Here is a look at the key faces driving the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

S Somanath, ISRO Chairman

P Veeramuthuvel, Chandrayaan-3 Project Director

S Unnikrishnan Nair, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Director

Isro chairman S Somanath

Chandrayaan-3 project director P Veeramuthuvel

Mission director Mohana Kumar

Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) director S Unnikrishnan Nair

U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) director M Sankaran

Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) chief A Rajarajan

Associate project director K Kalpana

August 24, 2023

US Govt congratulates ISRO in Hindi for

In a remarkable display of international camaraderie, the United States government congratulated

The News Minute

After Chandrayaan-3's success, what’s next

After Chandrayaan-3's success, what’s next for ISRO?

ISRO’s triumphs and collaborations

August 23, 2023

India becomes first nation to land spacecraft near

- China's great leap -

Japan to launch Moon ‘Sniper’ lander on August 26

Here are the details about the mission:

All about JAXA's SLIM moon Sniper

All about JAXA's XRISM spacecraft

What’s the main reason of this failure?

Artist's Illustration: A suited crew members work on the lunar surface.

രാജ മാെക കാ ിരു , കാേതാർ ിരു ചാ ർശ ിന്െറ

ച ന്െറ ദ ിണ ധുവ ിൽ ച യാൻ 3 ലാൻഡർ െമാഡ ൂൾ ഇ െല

അതിന്െറ േപാരാ കളിൽനി ു പാഠം ഉൾെ ാ ു ഇേ ാഴെ

നാൽപതു വർഷം നീ അേന ഷണ ിന്െറ ആദ െ

യുഎസ്, േസാവിയ ് യൂണിയൻ, ൈചന എ ീ രാജ ൾ മാ തമാണ്

യുഎസിന്െറ അേ ാേളാ 11 ദൗത ിലൂെട മനുഷ ൻ ആദ മായി

ച യാൻ മൂ ിെല ലാൻഡിങ് വിജയകരമായാൽ ഭാവിയിൽ െചാ യിേലാ

രാജ ം ഇേ ാൾ േനടിയ ചരി തേന ം സ ീർണമായ ഏതു

ച യാൻ 3 ച നിൽ ഇറ ിയ ല ുനി ു ചി തം.

പിയ ഭാരതേമ തിള ു ു, ച െനേ ാെല നിൻ മുഖം; ച യാൻ 3

ആദ അേ ാേളാ േപടകം എ ു തിനു മുൻപ ് 1960 കളുെട

2009 ൽ ഐഎസ്ആർഒ വിേ പി ച യാൻ 1 ദൗത ിന്െറ

ച ന്െറ ഉപരിതല ിലും ഉ ിലും ശീതീകരി െ നിലയിലു

അേതസമയം, 1967 െല യുഎൻ ഉ ാ ിയ ബഹിരാകാശ കരാർ

ച നിലിറ ാനു പല ശമ ളും പലവ ം പരാജയെ ി ു ്. ഏ വും

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