Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
On August 23, 2023, India's Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully landed near the Moon's south pole, making India the fourth nation to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface, after the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China.
The roots of Chandrayaan-3's success trace back to the Chandrayaan-1 mission, launched on October 22, 2008. As India's first mission beyond Earth's orbit, it set the stage for future lunar explorations with significant contributions to space research.
A key component of Chandrayaan-1 was the 32-kilogram Moon Impact Probe (MIP), intentionally designed to crash onto the lunar surface. On November 17, 2008, the MIP was released from an altitude of 100 kilometres, gathering critical data during its descent.
During its descent, the MIP transmitted data that led to the discovery of water molecules on the Moon's surface, a finding later confirmed by NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper. This discovery was pivotal for future lunar missions.
The data from Chandrayaan-1 and the MIP informed the design of Chandrayaan-2 in 2019 and directly influenced the planning of Chandrayaan-3. Despite the crash of Chandrayaan-2's Vikram lander, the mission's orbiter continued to provide valuable information.
Chandrayaan-3 incorporated lessons from its predecessors, featuring improved landing capabilities and advanced scientific instruments. The mission successfully landed at 69°S, the southernmost point ever reached by a lunar mission, to study the Moon's surface and atmosphere.
As ISRO prepares for future missions, including Chandrayaan-4, the legacy of the 2008 Moon Impact Probe remains a significant chapter in India's space exploration journey. Chandrayaan-3's success not only advances scientific knowledge but also serves as an inspiration for the next generation of explorers.