National Space Day 2024

Context

  • National Space Day 2024 commemorates the groundbreaking success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which achieved the safe landing of the Vikram Lander on the lunar surface on August 23, 2023.

  • With this achievement, India proudly became the fourth country to successfully land on the moon, making history as the first to land near the southern polar region.

Theme of National Space Day 2024

  • India’s first National Space Day theme is “Touching Lives while Touching the Moon: India’s Space Saga.”

National Space Day 2024

Chandrayaan-3 Mission

  • The Chandrayaan-3 mission was India’s third lunar mission and second attempt to make a soft landing on the surface of the Moon. It was launched by Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM3).
  1. The propulsion module carried the lander and rover configuration to a 100 km lunar orbit. The propulsion module had a Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload to study the spectral and Polari metric measurements of Earth from the lunar orbit.
  2. According to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Chandrayaan-3 mission’s three objectives were to demonstrate a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface, to demonstrate a Rover roving on the Moon and to conduct in-situ scientific experiments.

Characteristics of Chandrayaan-3 

  • Chandrayaan-3 consisted of an Indigenous Lander module (LM), Propulsion module (PM) and a Rover to develop and demonstrate new technologies required for Interplanetary missions.

Payloads of Chandrayaan-3 and their objectives 

Lander Payloads 

  • 1. Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE): To measure the thermal properties of lunar surface near polar region.
  • 2. Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA): For measuring the seismicity around the landing site and delineating the structure of the lunar crust and mantle.
  • 3. Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA): To estimate the plasma density and its variations.
  • 4. Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA): A passive experiment to understand the dynamics of Moon system.

Rover Payloads

  • 1. Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS): To determine the elemental composition of Lunar soil and rocks around the lunar landing site.
  • 2. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS): For deriving the elemental composition in the vicinity of the landing site.

Propulsion Module Payload

  • Spectro-polarimetry of HAbitable Planet Earth (SHAPE): Future discoveries of smaller planets in reflected light would allow us to probe into a variety of Exo-planets that would qualify for habitability (or for presence of life).

Significance of Chandrayaan-3 Mission

  • The success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission is of great significance to India, as it established India’s reputation as a serious player in planetary exploration.
  • It consolidated India’s position as a space power.
  • Compared to other countries, India has a comparatively low-budget aero-space programme.
  • But the efficiency and cost-effectiveness with which ISRO carries out its projects have helped in building a formidable brand name for the space agency.
  • Chandrayaan-3 was accomplished at a cost of Rs 615 crore (a fraction of the cost of an Airbus).

ISRO aimed for the Sun Through Aditya-L1

  • It was launched with the mission of observing and helping us better understand the Sun.
  • Aditya-L1 is placed outside of the Earth’s atmosphere, and its instruments can study ultraviolet radiation from the corona, allowing scientists to better understand how it works.
  • Aditya-L1 consists of seven instruments to observe all radiation and charged particles.
  • Its location is 1.5 million kilometres away from Earth, towards the Sun.

ISRO’s Next Goal: Gaganyaan

  • Announced in 2018, Gaganyaan is one of India’s most ambitious space programmes.
  • Gaganyaan project aims to demonstrate human spaceflight capability by sending a crew of 3 members to a 400 km orbit for a 3-day mission and safely returning them to Earth by landing in the Indian sea waters. Just three countries – the United States, Russia and China – have executed human spaceflight missions till now.

Source: IE

Visit Abhiyan PEDIA (One of the Most Followed / Recommended) for UPSC Revisions: Click Here

IAS Abhiyan is now on Telegram: Click on the Below link to Join our Channels to stay Updated 

IAS Abhiyan Official: Click Here to Join

For UPSC Mains Value Edition (Facts, Quotes, Best Practices, Case Studies): Click Here to Join

Leave a Reply