The study aims to observe changes in how astronauts’ cardiovascular and respiratory systems control blood pressure to ensure that the crew stays healthy on their way back into space….reports Asian Lite News
The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) shared a glimpse into astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi’s contribution to the Cardiobreath experiment on the International Space Station (ISS).
The experiment is a critical analysis of the impact of microgravity on cardiovascular and respiratory functions and was conducted in collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Simon Fraser University and The University of North Dakota.
Through the experiment, astronauts aboard the ISS monitor their heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen level, and ECG using a bio-monitor shirt developed for the CSA. The study aims to observe changes in how astronauts’ cardiovascular and respiratory systems control blood pressure to ensure that the crew stays healthy on their way back into space.
The experiment was conducted in two phases, wherein it was first tested via a custom-fitted Bio-monitor device and a stationary bike with a cycle that AlNeyadi trained on for 25 minutes at a specific level. The data from the same was tracked by researchers who monitored the heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, and activity levels on both the cycle and while he was standing still to measure balance.
In the second stage, Sultan wore the custom-fitted Bio-Monitor shirt and monitored these measurements for the same parameters while using the Cycle Ergometer and while floating in the ISS. Both the results will further be compared by the researchers on Earth to determine various countermeasures for cardiorespiratory risks in space. The research will also benefit the study and recovery of elderly patients on Earth.
Talking further about the experiment, Adnan AlRais, Mission Manager of UAE Astronaut Programme, said, “The Cardiobreath study is critical to our understanding of long-term space travel and how different activities impact the crew aboard the ISS. This partnership with CSA and the North Dakota and Simon Fraser universities has fortified our knowledge of the dynamics of cardiovascular and respiratory functions in space and how the body adapts to microgravity. We are looking forward to studying this further as it contributes to the future of safer space travel.”
The Cardiobreath study will support astronauts in investigating cardiovascular and respiratory systems and how they impact blood pressure. The study will also showcase the deconditioning that weightlessness can cause while shedding light on comparing data between male and female astronauts.
The UAE Astronaut Programme is one of the projects managed by MBRSC under the UAE’s National Space Programme and funded by the ICT Fund of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), which aims to support research and development in the ICT sector in the UAE and promote the country’s integration on the global stage.
Chandrayaan-3 is also cheaper than the average listed price of any of the Boeing aircraft, which Air India has recently placed an order for…reports Asian Lite News
India’s lunar blockbuster, Chandrayaan-3, which cost the nation Rs 615 crore, is cheaper than the dud film, ‘Adipurush’ (budget: Rs 700 crore), and if the amount is converted to US dollars ($75 million), it is cheaper than the two Hollywood movies ruling the global box office today — Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ ($145 million) and Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ ($100 million).
In fact, Nolan’s 2013 space movie, ‘Interstellar’, which is set in the future and features an Indian solar-powered drone, among other spectacular machines, cost $165 million to produce. Note that the budget is not inflation-adjusted.
While on the subject of space travel-inspired film, it may be worth remembering that Ridley Scott’s Matt Damon-starrer ‘The Martian’ (2015) was produced for $106 million.
Chandrayaan-3 is also cheaper than the average listed price of any of the Boeing aircraft, which Air India has recently placed an order for: 737 MAX ($128.25 million each), 787-9 ($292.50 million) and 777.9 ($442.20 million).
Air-India has ordered 220 of these aircraft, and if we check out the prices of the 250 Airbus planes it has sealed the deal for, then also Chandrayaan-3 is cheaper.
An Airbus 320neo is priced at $110.60 million each; Chandrayaan-3 also cost less than an Airbus 321neo ($129.50 million), and is less than a quarter of the price of an A350-1000 ($366.50 million) and A350-900 ($317.40 million).
And if likes were to be compared, then ISRO’s ground-breaking mission to the dark side of the Moon, the lunar South Pole, cost way less than Russia’s failed Luna 25 (estimated at $200 million or more than Rs 1,600 crore) and of course China’s first Chang’e probe (1.4 billion yuan or $219 million).
The South Pole of Moon has deep craters shielded from sunlight for billions of years….reports Asian Lite News
The Moon’s South Pole, according to NASA, is full of “mystery, science and intrigue”, a media report said.
There are deep craters which have been shielded from sunlight for billions of years, where temperatures can plummet to astonishing lows of -248-degree C (-414 F), BBC reported.
Notably, India’s moon lander part of the Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully set its four legs softly and safely on the lunar surface in the South Pole on Wednesday evening as planned.
Water is one key reason why scientists want to explore the area around the lunar South Pole, BBC reported.
Scientists believe frozen water might have accumulated in cold polar regions over millions of years and could provide a unique sample for scientists to analyse and understand the history of water in our solar system.
If the water ice on the Moon turns out to be possible to extract, some hope it could eventually be used by astronauts, reducing the amount of water that would have be blasted into space on crewed missions, BBC reported.
Also, water molecules can be broken into hydrogen and oxygen atoms – which could perhaps one day be used as propellants for rockets.
Meanwhile, BBC reported on India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission — “This is a massive moment for India and it bumps them up the space superpower list.”
Landing on the Moon is far from easy – as Russia’s attempt this week highlighted – and many missions have failed, including India’s first attempt in 2019.
But it was second time lucky, and India now joins three other nations – the US, the former Soviet Union and China – which have successfully touched down on the lunar surface.
And they’re now ready to explore an area where no other spacecraft has been before – the lunar South Pole, BBC reported.
There’s growing scientific interest here. The craters in this region are permanently in shadow and contain frozen water. This would be a crucial resource for future human exploration – Nasa’s Artemis mission, which is sending astronauts to the Moon, is targeting this region too, the report said.
P Veeramuthuvel’s father watched Chandrayaan-3’s mission live feed from his Vilupuram home and cheered for the ISRO scientists for the successful landing on the Moon…reports Asian Lite News
P Palanivel, father of Chandrayaan-3 project director P Veeramuthuvel, on Wednesday celebrated the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 lander module on the moon’s South Pole and said that he is very happy and his son worked hard.
P Veeramuthuvel’s father watched Chandrayaan-3’s mission live feed from his Vilupuram home and cheered for the ISRO scientists for the successful landing on the Moon.
“Today Chandrayaan-3 very successfully landed. So this happiness goes to each and every person in India as well as Tamil Nadu. So I am very very happy. My son worked hard. As a father, I am sharing the happiness with you. I am very happy,” Chandrayaan-3 project director P Veeramuthuvel’s father told ANI.
The Chandrayaan-3 lander module successfully landed on the moon’s South Pole on Wednesday evening, making India the first country to have achieved the historic feat and bringing to an end the disappointment over the crash landing of the Chandrayaan-2 four years ago.
After the lander Vikram of the country’s third lunar mission made a safe and soft landing, the chief of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) S Somanath said, “India is on the Moon”.
Officials at India’s space agency ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru broke into applause after the Vikram began its powered vertical descent towards its landing site.
Bengaluru: Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Scientists celebrate as third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 successfully touches down on the Moon’s surface, at the ISRO headquarters, in Bengaluru, on Wednesday, August 23, 2023. (Photo: IANS/Youtube/ISRO Official: Video Grab)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is attending the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg watched the live telecast and as soon as the touchdown happened he sported a big smile and waved the tricolour.
The countdown of the Vikram hovered at 150 metres, then 130 metres, and 50 metres and decelerated as it approached the moon’s surface before finally touching down on the lunar surface.
As the Vikram lander carrying the Pragyaan rover in its belly touched down on the lunar surface, it marked a giant leap in India’s spacefaring journey providing a well-deserved finale to ISRO’s long years of toil.
This makes India the fourth country – after the US, China, and Russia – to have successfully landed on the moon’s surface, it has earned a place in record books as the first to touchdown on the south side of Earth’s only natural satellite. (ANI)
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) established a communication link with its moon lander that is now on the lunar soil….reports Asian Lite News
Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Wednesday congratulated the Indian space agency and the country for the successful landing of Chandrayaan 3 on the Moon.
“What an incredible moment! Congratulations to @isro for the successful landing of #Chandrayaan3 on the moon,” he said in a post on X.com.
“Today India became the first country to successfully achieve a soft landing on the southern polar region of the moon,” he added.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) established a communication link with its moon lander that is now on the lunar soil.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos on Wednesday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and all of India on successfully landing Chandrayaan-3 on the lunar soil.
“Huge congratulations to ISRO and all of India!” Bezos, who owns Blue Origin, posted on Instagram’s Threads platform, commenting on ISRO’s post.
Earlier on Wednesday, he also wished India for a successful landing, saying: “Root for India! Good luck, Chandrayaan-3.”
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk also praised India’s moon mission earlier.
“Kinda crazy when you realize India’s budget for Chandrayaan-3 ($75 million) is less than the film Interstellar ($165 million),” Newsthink posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Musk responded: “Good for India”, with an emoji of the Indian tricolour.
Bengaluru, Aug 23 (ANI): Former ISRO chief, K Sivan and scientists watch the live telecast of the Chandrayaan-3 lander Vikram's soft-landing on the Moon's South Pole during Chandrayaan-3 Mission, at Mission Control Complex in Bengaluru on Wednesday. (ANI Photo)
K. Sivan was the chief of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at the time of the Chandrayaan-2 mission, launched in 2019….reports Asian Lite News
As Chandrayaan-3 achieved a soft landing on the South Pole of the moon, making India the first country to reach that particular area, former ISRO chief K Sivan on Wednesday said that it is sweet news, for which they have been waiting for the last four years.
“We are really excited to see this grand success. For this, we have been waiting for the last four years. This success is sweet news for us and for the entire nation,” K Sivan said.
Sivan was the chief of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at the time of the Chandrayaan-2 mission, launched in 2019.
The country’s second lunar mission was only “partially successful” since the lander lost contact, in the last moments when a distance of 2.1 km was left, and made a hard landing on the surface of the moon. Following this, the then ISRO chief Sivan broke into tears.
Meanwhile, as the Chandrayaan-3 lander module Vikram made a safe and soft landing on the Moon, the ISRO chief S Somanath said, “India is on the Moon”.
Responding to Chandrayaan-3’s success, Sivan said that the Central government is also with us and they also will be happy to see this happy moment.
On the world, closely watching this mission, he said, “Chandrayaan-3’s science data is not only for India, it is for the global scientists.”
“The scientists will use this data globally to discover new things from it,” he added.
Meanwhile, former Professor of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) RC Kapoor, said, “This is the best moment of my life and we can’t express our excitement as it landed. This is the moment to congratulate ISRO, the whole nation and the entire world…”
He said that this opens the floodgates to research and increase activity in the Southern part of the moon.
“India is now one of the four topmost space agencies of the world,” the astronomer added.
Officials at India’s space agency ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru broke into applause after the Vikram began its powered vertical descent towards its landing site.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is attending the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg watched the live telecast and as soon as the touchdown happened he sported a big smile and waved the tricolour.
The countdown of the Vikram hovered at 150 metres, then 130 metres, and 50 metres and decelerated as approached the moon’s service before finally touching down on the lunar surface.
As the Vikram lander carrying the Pragyaan rover in its belly touched down on the lunar surface, it marked a giant leap in India’s spacefaring journey providing a well-deserved finale to ISRO’s long years of toil.
This makes India the fourth country – after the US, China, and Russia – to have successfully landed on the moon’s surface, it has earned a place in record books as the first to touchdown on the south side of Earth’s only natural satellite.
Billions of people across India and globally closely monitoring the much-awaited event. More so after Russia’s Luna-25 spacecraft crashed on Sunday after spinning out of control.
In the run-up to the scheduled soft landing of Chandrayaan-3, people across the country prayed to God in all denominations of places of worship for a successful mission.
Special screenings of the soft landing were organized across the country, including schools and science centers, and public institutions. ISRO made the live actions available on the ISRO website, its YouTube channel, Facebook, and public broadcaster DD National TV.
The scheduled timing for the soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the moon’s south pole on August 23, 2023 (Wednesday), was 18:04 IST, with the powered descent of Vikram lander at 1745 IST.
ISRO had been releasing a series of up-close images of the moon, assisting the lander module in determining its position (latitude and longitude) by matching them against an onboard moon reference map.
Historically, spacecraft missions to the Moon have primarily targeted the equatorial region due to its favourable terrain and operating conditions. However, the lunar south pole presents a vastly different and more challenging terrain compared to the equatorial region.
The spacecraft was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota on July 14.
A GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle was used for the launch of the spacecraft that was placed in the lunar orbit on August 5 and since then it was through a series of orbital manoeuvres been lowered closer to the moon’s surface. (ANI)
Nearly two decades later, as the head of ISRO, Somanath seems to have set right the issues that resulted in the crash landing of India’s first moon lander called Vikram…reports Asian Lite News
They were all men in the Chandrayaan-3 mission and they were confident of soft landing the country’s moon lander on the lunar soil, a ‘Mission Possible’ after the failure of Chandrayaan-2.
Incidentally, unlike the Chandrayaan-2 mission, where a couple of women were in a lead role — with Project Director M. Vanitha and Mission Director Ritu Karidhal Srivastava — this time around it was an all male club.
In Chandrayaan-3, the Mission Director was Mohan Kumar and the Vehicle/Rocket Director was Biju C. Thomas.
“There are about 54 female engineers/scientists who worked directly in the Chandrayaan-3 mission. They are associate and deputy project directors and project managers of various systems working at different centres,” a senior official of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had told IANS preferring anonymity.
Well, the Men in Chandrayaan-3 are as follows:
Dr. S. Somanath, Chairman, ISRO
Most of the Hindu names signify a God. In the case of S. Somanath, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the name means Master of the Moon.
Incidentally, it was his responsibility to see India’s moon lander soft lands successfully on Wednesday evening.
As a young engineer, Somanath dared to set right an anomaly along with two of his seniors in a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) that was ready for a takeoff.
Normally in such a situation, the rocket launch would have been postponed, draining the fuel and other laborious processes. The other option was trying to set the problem right, when the rocket is fueled up-a risky proposition.
However, the three brave officials including the young Somanath set right the problem. The rocket lifted off safely and made the mission a success.
Nearly two decades later, as the head of ISRO, Somanath seems to have set right the issues that resulted in the crash landing of India’s first moon lander called Vikram.
Son of a Hindi teacher, Somanath was interested in science. Later he pursued B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering but had an active interest in rocketry.
Like a dream come true, in 1985 Somanath got a job with ISRO and joined the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, which was responsible for rockets.
Somanath took his B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering from TKM College of Engineering, Kollam and Masters in Aerospace Engineering from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore with specialisation in Structures, Dynamics and Control.
Rising up the ranks, he joined GSLV MkIII Project during 2003 and was the Deputy Project Director responsible for overall design and integration of India’s heaviest and most powerful rocket. He was the Project Director of GSLV Mk-III (now LVM-3) from June 2010 to 2014.
Somanath also led the team of LPSC (ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre) to complete the development and qualification of CE20 cryogenic engine and the C25 stage, which was successfully flown in GSLV MkIII-D1 flight.
Prior to becoming ISRO Chairman, Somanath headed VSSC as its Director.
Dr. S. Unnikrishnan Nair, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
He is a Distinguished Scientist heading the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) – India’s rocket centre – as well as a Malayalam short story writer.
Dr. S. Unnikrishnan, is a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from Kerala University, ME in Aerospace engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru and a doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology-Madras.
That apart, he also holds an MA in Telecommunications and Space Law from NALSAR, Hyderabad.
Unnikrishan began his career in VSSC in 1985 and was involved in the development of various aerospace systems and mechanisms for Indian rockets – PSLV, GSLV and LVM3.
He played a key role in the maiden orbital re-entry experiment, Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE), right from the study phase onwards to its mission accomplishment in 2007.
He was associated with Human Spaceflight Programme from its study phase since 2004 and was the Project director for Pre-project technology development activities.
Unnikrishnan led the project team for defining the Vehicle configuration, Systems engineering and in identifying various critical technology development areas to initiate the pre-project activities.
As founding Director of the youngest Centre in ISRO, the Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) Unnikrishnan has led the team for Gaganyaan Project and established the Astronaut Training Centre at Bangalore in HSFC at Bangalore.
Dr. P. Veeramuthuvel, Project Director, Chandrayaan-3
Son of a railway employee, Dr. P. Veeramuthuvel always aimed for the skies. Hailing from Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram district, Veeramuthuvel completed his Diploma in Mechanical Engineering and went on to get a Degree in Engineering. Later he did his PhD at IIT-Madras. He joined ISRO in 2014.
M. Shankaran, Director, U R Rao Satellite Centre
A Distinguished Scientist M. Shankaran took over as Director of U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), the lead Centre in the country for design, development and realisation of all satellites of ISRO, on June 1, 2021.
He is currently leading satellite fraternity to realise various types of satellites to meet the national requirements in the areas like communication, navigation, remote sensing, meteorology and inter-planetary exploration.
During his 35 years of experience in URSC/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 Satellites, Navigation Satellites and Outer Space Missions like Chandrayaan, Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) and others.
He is now leading the efforts to the miniaturisation of avionics systems, indigenisation of electronics & power system components, micro/mini satellite bus development and others. He is also spearheading the avionics system design, realisation and qualification for the Gaganyaan Programme.
He joined the ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), currently known as URSC after obtaining his Master’s degree in Physics from Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli in 1986.
Dr. V. Narayanan, Director, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre
He is the man providing the propulsion power to Indian rockets. Dr V.Narayanan, an Alumni of Indian Institute of Technology- Kharagpur and has taken his M.Tech with First Rank in Cryogenic Engineering in 1989 and Ph.D in Aerospace Engineering in 2001.
A rocket propulsion expert Narayanan joined ISRO in 1984 and functioned in various capacities before becoming Director of the Centre. As Project Director for C25 Cryogenic Project, he led the team and successfully developed C25 Cryogenic Stage.
When India was denied the complex Cryogenic Propulsion Technology for GSLV Mk-II vehicle, Narayanan played a crucial role in the successful development of Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) and contributed in making it operational for the GSLV Mk II vehicle.
He has guided the team and designed a 200-tonne thrust Lox-Kerosene Semi Cryogenic Rocket Engine.
During the initial period from 1984 to 1988 in ISRO, he also contributed to the Solid Propulsion System realisation for launch vehicles. As Associate Director of LPSC, he was guiding the liquid propulsion activities of ISRO and was instrumental in finalising the Liquid Propulsion Roadmap of ISRO for the next 20 years.
A. Rajarajan, Director, Satish Dhawan Space Centre
He first joined the India’s rocket centre – Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and over the years risen through the ranks and is now heading the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) that provides the solid fuel for the rocket and also the country’s rocket port in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
A Mechanical Engineer, Rajarajan joined VSSC’s Fiber Reinforced Plastics Division and over the years grew within the organisation and assumed additional challenges.
ISRO Chairman Somanath says the Aditya-L1 satellite for the Sun mission will be launched during the first week of September…reports Asian Lite News
After its giant leap with the Chandrayaan-3 lander module successfully landing on the moon’s South Pole, India has now set its goal on the Sun.
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 Indian rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The satellite will be shortly integrated with the rocket.
The Sun mission will be followed with 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 INSAT 3DS satellite with its GSLV rocket this year, Somanath added. After that, will be the orbiting of Anwesha satellite and XPoSAT- a 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 during 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 the maiden human space mission.
ISRO has also slated a flight to Venus — Venus Mission — in 2024. Whether it is going to be a ‘Night Flight to Venus’ will be known later.
Earlier, on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is currently attending the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg said, “India is on the moon!” celebrating ISRO’s feat.
The countdown of the Vikram hovered at 150 metres, then 130 metres, 50 metres and decelerated as approached the moon’s service before finally touching down on the lunar surface.
As the Vikram lander carrying the Pragyaan rover in its belly touched down on the lunar surface, it marked a giant leap in India’s spacefaring journey providing a well-deserved finale to ISRO’s long years of toil.
This makes India becomes the fourth country – after US, China, and Russia – to have successfully landed on the moon’s surface, it has earned a place in record books as the first to touchdown on the south side of Earth’s only natural satellite.
Billions of people across India and globally closely monitoring the much-awaited event. More so after Russia’s Luna-25 spacecraft crashed on Sunday after spinning out of control.
In the run-up to the scheduled soft landing of Chandrayaan-3, people across the country prayed to God in all denominations of places of worship for a successful mission.
Special screenings of the soft landing were organized across the country, including schools and science centers, and public institutions. ISRO made the live actions available on the ISRO website, its YouTube channel, Facebook, and public broadcaster DD National TV.
The scheduled timing for the soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the moon’s south pole on August 23, 2023 (Wednesday), was 18:04 IST, with the powered descent of Vikram lander at 1745 IST.
ISRO had been releasing a series of up-close images of the moon, assisting the lander module in determining its position (latitude and longitude) by matching them against an onboard moon reference map.
Historically, spacecraft missions to the Moon have primarily targeted the equatorial region due to its favourable terrain and operating conditions. However, the lunar south pole presents a vastly different and more challenging terrain compared to the equatorial region
The spacecraft was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota on July 14.
A GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle was used for the launch of the spacecraft that was placed in the lunar orbit on August 5 and since then it was through a series of orbital manoeuvres been lowered closer to the moon’s surface.
Ever since the July 14 launch, ISRO had been maintaining that the health of the spacecraft remained “normal”.
On August 5, Chandrayaan-3 was successfully inserted into the lunar orbit with multiple key manoeuvres thereafter.
Then on August 17, the mission marked another giant leap in its lunar quest as the ‘Vikram’ lander module of the spacecraft successfully separated from the propulsion module on Thursday. The Chandrayaan-3 mission’s lander is named after Vikram Sarabhai (1919–1971), who is widely regarded as the father of the Indian space programme.
India's Permanent Representative Ruchira Kamboj speaks at the United Nations Security Council on Monday, April 24, 2023. (Photo Source: UN)
Of India’s lunar mission contributing to various objectives to the UN, Kamboj singled out the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of gender equality…reports Arul Louis
“By aiming for the moon, India has not only reached it, but also set our sights on the limitless possibilities that lie ahead (and) as the saying goes, ‘To infinity and beyond’,” India’s Permanent Representative Ruchira Kamboj has said.
While the successful landing of the Chandrayan-3 on the moon “symbolises the aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians,” she added on Wednesday that “it’s a historic moment for humanity as we venture into uncharted territory near the moon’s South Pole”.
“What really stands out is that India is the first country to land on the South Pole of the moon, where many others have not succeeded so far,” she said.
Before her news conference here, India received congratulations from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and General Assembly President Csaba Korosi.
Conveying congratulations from Guterres, who is in Johannesburg for the BRICS meeting of the Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa group, his Associate Spokesperson Florencia Soto Nino said at the UN noon briefing, “This is a great achievement.”
“We wish India a greater success in its space exploration,” she added.
Korosi’s Spokesperson Pulina Kubiak said that he congratulated India and that within his office, “many of the Indian colleagues were celebrating that achievement.”
United States Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield congratulated India in a post on X (formerly Twitter) and said, “Look forward to further deepening US-India space cooperation — including our work together at the @UN and beyond — as new frontiers continue to be explored.”
Of India’s lunar mission contributing to various objectives to the UN, Kamboj singled out the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of gender equality.
“A very significant number of scientists who worked on India’s moon mission Chandrayaan-3 are women, very much in sync with India’s model of women-led growth and development and also linking beautifully with SDG 5, which is all about gender equity,” she said.
Globally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi “has emphasised that the success belongs to all of us and holds promise for future scientific achievements that will benefit humanity as a whole,” she added.
In a reference to India’s international space cooperation, Kamboj said, “For India, and mankind ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) has launched many rockets and satellites.”
“ISROS’s own lunar and interplanetary missions, including the latest Chandrayaan-3, along with other scientific projects, encourage and promote science education,” she added.
On the significance of the lunar landing for developing countries as whole, Kamboj quoted Modi: “I am confident that all countries in the world, including those from the Global South are capable of achieving such feats. We can all aspire to the moon and beyond.”
Speaking last year at a meeting of the General Assembly panel on peaceful uses of outer space, Nitish Birdi, the Minister in India’s permanent mission, outlined the scope of New Delhi’s global cooperation.
He said that India has signed more than 260 space cooperation documents covering aspects such as technology protection, ground station support, cooperation in aerosol monitoring, space situational awareness and peaceful uses of outer space.
A reporter asked Kamboj whether she intended to seek a resolution from the General Assembly or other organisations “to mark this significant milestone”.
She replied, “Thank you very much for putting that thought in our mind. I will come back to you on this.”
A Palestinian journalist asked Kamboj about Kashmir, as well about expanding BRICS membership and if the successful lunar mission enhanced India’s chances for becoming a permanent member of the Security Council.
She declined to answer the questions which she said were “valid”, but that “this is not the moment for these questions. Today’s the day of celebration, and we are focusing on India’s success and indeed, the success of the whole of humanity”.
She, however, offered to meet the journalist at India’s mission to discuss the questions.
The Chandrayaan-3 was put into orbit on July 14 in a copybook style by India’s heavy lift rocket LVM3. The spacecraft completed orbiting around the earth and headed towards the moon on August 1…reports Asian Lite News
Wishing Indians ‘good luck’, Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams has said she will cheer for India as Chandrayaan-3 mission’s lander module attempts a touchdown on the moon’s surface on Wednesday.
“I am super excited for Chandrayaan-3 on the 23rd of August. Good luck, we are cheering for you,” the veteran NASA astronaut said in a video message shared by National Geographic India.
Williams, who has spent about 322 days in space in her two shuttle missions, said that landing on the moon will provide valuable insights on lunar composition and history.
National Geographic India will telecast a live coverage of the event, which will also feature inputs from space industry experts as well as astronauts like Williams and Rakesh Sharma on space exploration.
“We salute the brave dreamers of the Indian Space Research Organisation. Watch India’s historic touchdown, Chandrayaan 3 Live #countdowntohistory on 23 August at 4 pm on National Geographic,” the channel wrote on platform X.
According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the lander will begin its moon landing descent at 5.45 pm today, and the touch down to happen at about 6.05 p.m.
The soft landing is a tricky issue as it involves a series of complex manoeuvres consisting of rough and fine braking. ISRO said the powered descent of the lander will happen from an altitude of 25 km.
The Chandrayaan-3 was put into orbit on July 14 in a copybook style by India’s heavy lift rocket LVM3. The spacecraft completed orbiting around the earth and headed towards the moon on August 1.
The success of the mission is of prime importance to India, which will become the fourth country to master the soft-landing technology on moon surface after the US, China and the erstwhile Soviet Union.
In addition, it will also become the first country to reach the unexplored larger south pole of the Moon.
