INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
BENGALURU: Four years after success eluded India and Isro, they are on the cusp of making history again by landing a probe in the polar
region of the lunar surface
If all goes well, Vikram, the Chandrayaan 3 lander will touchdown at 6.04pm with Pragyan (the rover) in its belly.Vikram is also better
prepared to overcome challenges of landing this time
Systems are undergoing regular checks
Smooth sailing is continuing
also released images captured by the Lander Position Detection Camera (LPDC) from an altitude of about 70km, taken on August 19 and those
taken by Lander Imager Camera-4 on August 20
would depend on the mission: where the lander module is, how its systems are working, the environment there, whether it needs can go ahead
and hit the lunar surface using a ramp before beginning its exploration
Both the lander and rover are designed to function for one lunar (14 Earth) days.03:22What India's Chandrayaan-3 mission looks like in
numbersPost-landing science - challengesAs momentous as the landing would be, Isro has equally focussed on the science the instruments it
has packed on the lander and rover would do
Firing on-board engines close to the surface results in backward flow of hot gases - dust
Lunar dust is miniscule - hard
Its negative charge makes it stick to surfaces, causing a disruption in deployment mechanisms, solar panel performance and so on.For Vikram
to carry out experiments, even bring out Pragyan, it would be important to manage the lunar dust and stay healthy
This results in extreme surface temperature variations while the ambient pressure of the surface is a hard vacuum making it a hostile
environment for the lander - rover.ISRO moon mission: Chandrayaan-3 Rover to leave India's Imprint on the lunar surfaceWatchChandrayaan-3
Post-Touchdown Objectives Explained: What will lander - rover do after Moon touchdown?
