-Galla S Kiran Kumar,Bureau Chief Telagana (Andhra Pradesh)
Chandrayaan-3 was a very complex launch. In this experiment, India has made it its goal to reach the South Pole, which no other country including America, Russia and China has been able to reach e
The key instruments in Chandrayaan-3..
Chandrayaan-3 was a very complex launch. In this experiment, India has made it its goal to reach the South Pole, which no other country including America, Russia and China has been able to reach so far. What are the components of Chandrayaan-3? What are the advanced equipment used in it to solve tough challenges? How are they going to be useful for research on Zabilli? If you look at the details..
A combination of three.. Chandrayaan-3 has three main components. They are..
1) Propulsion module
2) Lander
3) Rover
ISRO’s dream of Jabilli South Pole will come true only if these three work in coordination. For that they are designed with latest technology. Sub-devices are deployed in them.
Propulsion module
It is box shaped. A huge solar panel has been installed on one side of this. At the top there is an intermodule adapter cone in the shape of a cylinder. Lander will be installed for this part only. It consists of a propulsion system and a main thruster nozzle.
- The propulsion module carries the payload ‘Spectropolarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth’ (Shape). It is in the orbit of the moon and analyzes the light reflected from the earth. Collects spectral and polarimetric measurements. This data is used to research exoplanets orbiting other stars. It will be used to find out if there are habitable conditions like Earth.. if there is already life there.
- The Propulsion Module is in lunar orbit and acts as a communication transmission satellite between the lander and the ground center. Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter.. acts as backup to this.
Lander
This instrument has four legs and four landing thrusters (rockets). Cameras and sensors are installed to safely land on the surface of the moon. They are used to avoid dangerous obstacles and tell the lander where it is. There is an X-band antenna for communication. The lander has four throttleable engines with a capacity of 800 Newtons and eight throttleable engines with a capacity of 58 Newtons.
The lander has a total of five instruments. They are..
1. Lunar Surface Thermophysical Experiment (CHEST): Measures lunar conductivity and temperatures.
2. Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA): Used to measure lunar vibrations at the landing site. Chandama is useful for bringing out the structure of the crust and mantle layers.
3. Langmuir Probe: Calculates plasma density and its contrasts.
4. Passive Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA): This is provided by the American Space Research Organization- NASA. It is useful for lunar ranging studies.
5. Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive Ionosphere and Atmosphere (Ramba): Explores the gas and plasma atmosphere on the Moon.
Rover
It is rectangular in shape and is housed in a chamber in the lander. It comes from the inside to the surface of the moon through a ramp. It has six wheels for smooth movement on the moon and a navigation camera for guidance. Alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy are installed for science research. They search for elements in the landing area. The rover can communicate directly with the lander through RX/TX antennas.
How long does it work?
It is difficult to say now how long the lander and rovers will survive the adverse weather conditions after successfully landing on the Zabili surface! A day on Mars is about 28 days on Earth. Day time is 14 days. After that the night time starts. It is very cold and negative. Solar energy is not available. It is doubtful that the Chandrayaan-3 equipment will survive that environment! Therefore, the lander and rovers were designed to operate only for 14 days. But experts say that after 14 days of night, when the sun rises again, they wake up from ‘sleep’ and have no chance to work again.
- Chandrayaan-1, launched in 2008, spent 312 days in orbit. The discovery of traces of water on the surface of the moon for the first time gave India a unique identity.
- The Mangalyaan spacecraft, which was launched to Mars in 2013, entered Aruna’s orbit on September 24, 2014. Although it was supposed to be operational for only six months, it served for a total of 8 years.
