Chandrayaan-3: 1 Year of Revolutionary Feat in India’s Space Program

One year ago, on July 14, 2023, India launched its Chandrayaan-3 mission, marking a significant milestone in the history of the country’s space program. The success of this mission has greatly enhanced the global standing of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Historic Soft Landing On Moon 

ISRO achieved a historic feat by performing a successful soft landing of its rover and lander system (Lander Module) on the lunar surface on August 23, 2023. Just hours after the landing, the ramp in the belly of the lander opened, allowing the rover unit to slowly emerge and operate on the lunar surface. The Lander Module was designed to function for one Moon-day, equivalent to 14 Earth days.

The rover and lander functioned normally for the duration of one lunar day, a notable achievement, especially in light of the Chandrayaan-2 mission, which failed to soft-land the Lander Module on the lunar surface. With the success of Chandrayaan-3, India became the first country to land near the lunar south pole, a groundbreaking accomplishment.

The success of Chandrayaan-3 was crucial for ISRO, following the last-minute failure of the Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2019. The team behind Chandrayaan-3 dedicated nearly four years to ensure the mission’s success, learning from past experiences to design a robust and reliable mission. ISRO anticipated potential failures and programmed the software with multiple contingencies to handle emergencies, resulting in a mission that was almost foolproof.