National Space Day 2024: Theme and Know All About ISRO Chandrayaan-3 Mission

National Space Day marks a historic day for India as the nation will be celebrating its incredible achievements in space exploration. National Space Day is led by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and it is the first time the country will be celebrating its growing prominence in the global space community. This day is not just a celebration of past successes but also a moment to inspire future generations, highlighting the importance of space science and technology in shaping our world. 

National Space Day - 2024
One day to go!

Come, let us together celebrate the maiden National Space Day 🇮🇳@DrJitendraSingh #NSpD2024 pic.twitter.com/RAZkvSFSwM

— ISRO (@isro) August 22, 2024

National Space Day 2024 Date

National Space Day 2024 recognises the critical role that space exploration has played in India's scientific and technical progress. This date was selected to correspond with the success of India's Chandrayaan-3 mission, which became the fourth nation in history to arrive on the moon on August 23, 2023. In addition to demonstrating ISRO's developing capabilities, this accomplishment inspired national pride and gained international attention for the country's space program.

ISRO mentions, “Chandrayaan-3 mission accomplished safe and soft-landing of Vikram Lander on the lunar surface on August 23, 2023. With this, India became the fourth country to land on the moon and first to land near the southern polar region of the moon. The soft-landing was followed by successful deployment of Pragyan Rover. The landing site was named as 'Shiv Shakti' point (Statio Shiv Shakti) and August 23 was declared as the "National Space Day". India will celebrate its maiden National Space Day on August 23, 2024.”

Also check - National Space Day Quiz

National Space Day 2024 Theme

The theme of India's National Space Day 2024 is "Touching Lives while Touching the Moon," which honours the country's incredible space exploration history. India has progressed from modest beginnings to become a global leader in space technology, continuously pushing the limits of human knowledge and creativity. The theme highlights how India's space program has had a significant impact on its residents' lives, going beyond scientific breakthroughs to include societal development, economic prosperity, and international cooperation. 

ISRO mentions: “India is celebrating its maiden National Space Day [NSpD-2024] on August 23, 2024 with the theme "Touching Lives while Touching the Moon: India's Space Saga." A myriad of events will unfold highlighting India's remarkable achievements in space, profound benefits to the society, and boundless opportunities for people from all walks of life to engage with the Indian space programme.”

Know All About Chandrayaan-3 on National Space Day 2024

The Journey Towards the Moon

ISRO's journey to the Moon began with Chandrayaan-1, launched in October 2008. This mission was a groundbreaking success, as it was the first Indian mission to discover water molecules on the lunar surface. 

NASA mentions: “India's Chandrayaan-1 played a crucial role in the discovery of water molecules on the Moon.”

Building on this success, ISRO launched Chandrayaan-2 in July 2019, aiming to achieve a soft landing on the Moon's south pole. Unfortunately, the lander, Vikram, lost communication during the final stages of descent and crash-landed on the lunar surface. Despite this setback, Chandrayaan-2's orbiter continues to study the Moon, sending valuable data back to Earth.

ISRO mentions: “Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter is currently in a 100 km x 100 km orbit around the Moon On September 2nd, Vikram lander separated from the Orbiter and de-orbiting maneuver was performed to reduce the orbit to 35 km x 101 km.” 

“Vikram landing was attempted on 7th September and it followed the planned descent trajectory from its orbit of 35 km to around 2 km above the surface. Communication with lander and ground station was lost. All the systems and sensors of the Lander functioned excellently until this point and proved many new technologies such as variable thrust propulsion technology used in the Lander. However, the Orbiter is healthy and all the payloads are operational,” it adds.

Chandrayaan-3 is the follow-up mission designed to achieve what Chandrayaan-2 could not: a successful soft landing on the Moon. ISRO states: “Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface. It consists of Lander and Rover configuration. It will be launched by LVM3 from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota.”

Objectives of Chandrayaan-3

The primary objective of Chandrayaan-3 is to demonstrate ISRO's capability for a soft landing on the lunar surface, specifically near the Moon's south pole. The mission aims to achieve the following:

• Soft Landing: The primary goal is to land the Vikram lander safely on the lunar surface. This is a critical step in demonstrating ISRO's technological capabilities in controlled descent and landing, which are essential for future missions, including potential human spaceflight missions.
• Rover Exploration: Once the lander has safely touched down, it will deploy the Pragyan rover. This rover is designed to traverse the lunar surface, studying the composition of the soil and rocks, analysing the lunar environment, and sending valuable data back to Earth.
• Scientific Exploration: Chandrayaan-3 will continue the scientific objectives of Chandrayaan-2, focussing on the study of the lunar surface, seismic activity, and the exosphere. It aims to enhance our understanding of the Moon's composition, geology, and the presence of water molecules.

Chandrayaan-3: Specifications

Chandrayaan-3 consists of three primary components: the lander, the rover, and a propulsion module. Unlike Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3 does not include an orbiter, as the orbiter from the previous mission continues to function and can relay communications.

ISRO mentions: “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.”

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

National Space Day 2024 is a momentous occasion for India, celebrating the nation’s remarkable achievements in space exploration and looking forward to an even brighter future. It is a day to reflect on the journey from launching small satellites to planning human spaceflights, a journey that has been marked by innovation, perseverance, and a commitment to advancing science and technology. 

READ - GK Quiz on ISRO: Test Your Knowledge About the India’s Space Research Centre