Chandrayaan-3 poised to unlock future energy source on the moon; know all about it

Making significant progress towards India's lunar exploration ambitions, Chandrayaan-3 is advancing smoothly and is poised to touch down at the moon's southern pole on August 23rd.

Apathukatha Sivathanu Pillai, the former Chief Controller (R&D) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), conveyed optimism about the mission's success on Saturday. He stated, "Having transitioned from a near 100 km orbit to 30 km, the descent to the moon is underway. I am confident it will achieve complete success," in an interview with ANI.

Pillai, also the former CEO and MD of BrahMos Aerospace, emphasised Chandrayaan-3's significance, asserting that it will play a pivotal role in identifying lunar resources, particularly Helium-3, which holds promise as a future energy source.

The accomplishment of this mission will elevate India to become the fourth nation globally to attain this feat, joining the ranks of the United States, Russia, and China.

What is Helium-3?

Helium-3 (He-3) is a non-radioactive isotope of helium, a noble gas, with one neutron and two protons in its nucleus. It is relatively rare on Earth, but it can be found in small amounts as a trace element in certain natural gas deposits. However, it is more abundant on the moon and is also produced in small quantities by nuclear reactions in stars.

Helium-3 has garnered significant interest due to its potential as a fuel for advanced nuclear fusion reactions. Fusion is the process that powers the sun and other stars, and if harnessed on Earth, it could provide a nearly limitless and clean source of energy without the radioactive waste associated with current nuclear fission reactions.

Unlike the more common forms of nuclear fusion that use isotopes of hydrogen (deuterium and tritium), which produce high-energy neutrons and radioactive waste, the fusion of helium-3 with deuterium would yield primarily non-radioactive products, making it a cleaner and safer option for energy production. Additionally, the fusion of helium-3 with deuterium releases a significant amount of energy in the form of charged particles, which could be converted directly into electricity.

However, practical fusion reactors that can achieve controlled and sustained fusion reactions, including helium-3 fusion, are still in the experimental stage and face numerous technical challenges. While helium-3 shows promise for cleaner and more efficient energy generation, its commercial utilisation on Earth is currently limited by technological and economic factors.

Interest in helium-3's potential as an energy source has led to discussions about mining it from the moon, as the lunar surface contains higher concentrations of helium-3 due to its exposure to the solar wind. This is one of the reasons why lunar exploration and the study of lunar resources, as exemplified by missions like Chandrayaan-3, have gained attention in the context of future energy solutions.

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As per ISRO, the Vikram LM (Lander Module) successfully executed a deboosting operation, reducing its orbit to 113 km x 157 km.

Chandrayaan-3 embarked on its journey on July 14, 2023, with a launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, propelled by a GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle.

Despite facing delays attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, the mission has persisted and is now on the verge of fulfilling its objectives.

"The next deboosting operation is scheduled for August 20, 2023, where the lander will reach an orbit with its closest point to the moon (Perilune) at 30 km and the farthest point (the Apolune) at 100 km," ISRO said.

The mission's goals encompass a secure and gentle landing, rover exploration of the moon's surface, and in-situ scientific experiments.

India's quest for lunar exploration traces back to the Chandrayaan-1 mission in 2009, which yielded substantial scientific insights. Despite challenges encountered during the soft landing attempt of Chandrayaan-2 in 2019, the mission contributed valuable data, including the discovery of water ice on the lunar surface.

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