India’s third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, launched on 14 July 2023 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, aimed to build upon Chandrayaan-1 (2008) and Chandrayaan-2 (2019). It marked a significant step in ISRO’s planetary exploration programme and in fulfilling an unfinished goal from Chandrayaan-2.

Main Task of Chandrayaan-3

• Primary Objective: Achieve soft landing on the Moon’s surface, specifically near the lunar south pole.
• Why important? Chandrayaan-2 failed to achieve a soft landing in 2019 due to a last-phase navigation anomaly.
• Significance of South Pole: Rich in permanently shadowed regions, possible water ice deposits, and unique geology.

Countries That Have Achieved a Successful Moon Soft Landing

1. US – Surveyor program (1966–68), Apollo missions.
2. USSR/Russia – Luna program (1966 onwards).
3. China – Chang’e 3 (2013), Chang’e 4 (2019).
4. India – With Chandrayaan-3 in 2023, became the 4th nation and first to land near the lunar south pole.

Subsystems in Chandrayaan-3 Spacecraft

Chandrayaan-3 Modules

1. Lander (Vikram)

   • Functions: Soft landing, payload deployment, scientific experiments.

   • Key Subsystems:

     • Propulsion & navigation
     • Hazard detection & avoidance cameras
     • Altimeters & velocimeters
     • Solar panels & thermal control

2. Rover (Pragyan)

   • Functions: Surface mobility & in-situ analysis.

   • Key Subsystems:

     • Navigation cameras
     • Spectrometers for elemental composition
     • Solar-powered drive system

3. Propulsion Module

   • Functions: Transfer spacecraft from Earth’s orbit to lunar orbit and act as communication relay.

   • Key Subsystems:

     • Liquid apogee motor
     • High-gain antennas
     • Power and thermal systems

IV. Role of the Virtual Launch Control Centre (VLCC)

• Location: Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram.
• Purpose: Functioned as a remote command, monitoring, and decision-making hub for launches.

Key Roles in Chandrayaan-3 Launch:

1. Redundancy & Safety – Enabled uninterrupted monitoring even in case of on-site technical issues.

2. Real-time Telemetry Analysis – Tracked propulsion, guidance, and health parameters remotely.

3. Coordination with Sriharikota – Worked in sync with Launch Control Centre at SDSC, sharing instant data and commands.

4. Enhanced Disaster Resilience – Could take over control in emergencies like adverse weather or technical disruptions at the launch site.

Chandrayaan-3’s successful soft landing fulfilled India’s unachieved goal from Chandrayaan-2, placing the nation in an elite lunar exploration club. The integration of advanced subsystems and innovative solutions like the Virtual Launch Control Centre demonstrate India’s growing self-reliance and sophistication in space technology, supporting future interplanetary missions.