Chandrayaan 3: Launch Time Today, Know About Payloads and Other Specifications

Chandrayaan 3 is India's third lunar mission, and it is conducted by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation).  The mission is set to begin on 14 July 2023 according to a tweet by ISRO. The objective for this mission is to successfully deploy a lander and rover on the lunar surface in the lunar highlands near the South Pole of the moon by August 2023.

Announcing the launch of Chandrayaan-3:

🚀LVM3-M4/Chandrayaan-3 🛰️Mission:
The launch is now scheduled for
📆July 14, 2023, at 2:35 pm IST
from SDSC, Sriharikota

Stay tuned for the updates!

— ISRO (@isro) July 6, 2023

The key objective of the mission is to showcase the complete process of landing and manoeuvring on the lunar surface. According to NASA archives, “Chandrayaan 3 is an ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) mission with the primary objective of putting a lander and rover in the highlands near the south pole of the Moon in the August 2023 timeframe and demonstrating end-to-end landing and roving capabilities. It will also make a number of scientific measurements on the surface and from orbit.”

🚀LVM3-M4/Chandrayaan-3🛰️ Mission:
Early hours today, at SDSC-SHAR, the movement of the LVM3 M4 vehicle with Chandrayaan-3 to the launch pad has commenced pic.twitter.com/Oxb7arzpYr

— ISRO (@isro) July 6, 2023

What is the Launch Date and Time of Chandrayaan 3? 

The ISRO has scheduled the launch for July 14, 2023. The mission will be the first attempt by India to soft-land a spacecraft on the lunar surface since the Chandrayaan 2 mission in 2019.

The mission will begin from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. ISRO Chairman S. Somanath mentioned to ANI that the date for the launch is set for 13th July and it can go till 19th July. Later, the date was shifted to 14 July. The Chandrayaan-3 was taken to Satish Dhawan Space Centre for final assembly. 

Delhi | On the launch of Chandrayaan 3, ISRO Chairman, S Somanath says, "We will be able to do a soft landing on the moon. The launch day is July 13, it can go upto 19th." pic.twitter.com/rmbnJ5Kd5J

— ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2023

The launch timing for Chandrayaan 3 is set for 2:35 PM IST according to ISRO's tweet.

LVM3 M4/Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
The countdown leading to the launch tomorrow at 14:35:17 Hrs. IST has commenced.

Curtain raiser: https://t.co/xn4nRucAMn

— ISRO (@isro) July 13, 2023

What are the components of Chandrayaan?

Chandrayaan 3 will consist of a Lander Module (LM), a Propulsion Module (PM), and a rover. The LM will be responsible for a soft landing on the lunar surface, while the PM will provide propulsion and attitude control for the entire mission. The rover will be used to explore the lunar surface and collect scientific data.

ISRO states that “Chandrayaan-3 consists of an indigenous Lander module (LM), Propulsion module (PM) and a Rover with an objective of developing and demonstrating new technologies required for Inter planetary missions.” 

“The Lander will have the capability to soft land at a specified lunar site and deploy the Rover which will carry out in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface during the course of its mobility. The Lander and the Rover have scientific payloads to carry out experiments on the lunar surface. The main function of PM is to carry the LM from launch vehicle injection till final lunar 100 km circular polar orbit and separate the LM from PM,” it added. 

🚀LVM3-M4/Chandrayaan-3🛰️ Mission:

Today, at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, the encapsulated assembly containing Chandrayaan-3 is mated with LVM3. pic.twitter.com/4sUxxps5Ah

— ISRO (@isro) July 5, 2023

What are the Payloads of Chandrayaan 3? 

The ISRO mentions the following payloads: “Lander payloads: Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) to measure the thermal conductivity and temperature; Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) for measuring the seismicity around the landing site; Langmuir Probe (LP) to estimate the plasma density and its variations. A passive Laser Retroreflector Array from NASA is accommodated for lunar laser ranging studies.”

“Rover payloads: Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) for deriving the elemental composition in the vicinity of landing site.”

Here are the terms described briefly: 

Lander Payload:

• ChaSTE: Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment. This instrument will measure the thermal conductivity and temperature of the lunar surface.
• ILSA: Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity. This instrument will measure the seismicity of the lunar surface. In its essence, it will measure how much the surface of the moon shakes. 
• Langmuir Probe: This instrument will estimate the plasma density and its variations in the lunar ionosphere.
• Passive Laser Retroreflector Array: This array will be used for lunar laser ranging studies. It will be used to measure the distance between the Earth and the Moon.

Rover Payloads:

• Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer: This instrument will identify the elemental composition of the lunar surface.
• Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy: This instrument will identify the chemical composition of the lunar surface.

The mission's primary goal is to study the lunar surface and to collect data about the moon's geology and composition. These instruments will help scientists to learn more about the Moon's composition, its seismicity, and its environment. 

This information will help to better understand the Moon's history and evolution, and it will also help to identify potential resources that could be used by future human missions to the Moon. 

In conclusion, The launch of Chandrayaan 3 is a major milestone for India's space program. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the ISRO team, and it will help to further our understanding of the moon.