India gears up for nail-biting '20 minutes of terror' ahead of Chandrayaan-3's moon landing

Chandrayaan-3's Moon Landing: In an upcoming event that will keep the nation on edge, the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3 is poised to undertake a soft landing on the moon's surface near the south pole. This historic endeavour, involving the landing of the Vikram Lander carrying the Pragyaan rover, has captured attention due to the nail-biting twenty minutes it will take for the landing process—reminiscent of the tension in a T-20 cricket match's tight finish.

Chandrayaan-3's journey and landing sequence

Initiating its journey with a majestic lift-off, ISRO's Bahubali rocket, or Mark-3 launch vehicle, propelled Chandrayaan-3 into orbit. The spacecraft underwent elliptical orbits around the Earth, building up velocity.

On August 1, Chandrayaan-3 was directed toward the moon for its 3.84 lakh km journey. By August 5, the satellite had gently nestled into the moon's orbit, and subsequent days saw it being stabilised.

In a complex maneuver on August 17, the propulsion module and the Vikram lander carrying the Pragyaan rover separated while the satellite orbited at 153 km by 163 km. The propulsion module continued its trajectory in the same orbit around the moon.

The Vikram lander then transitioned into a 134 km by 25 km elliptical orbit, nearing the moon's surface for the powered descent phase. Up to this point, this process had been successfully executed during Chandrayaan-2.

The day of the landing marks the commencement of the harrowing twenty minutes, akin to the intensity of a T-20 match's climax. Upon receiving commands from Bengaluru, the Vikram lander will initiate its descent from an altitude of 25 km.

In a powered descent, the Vikram lander will hurtle towards the lunar surface at a speed of 1.68 km per second or approximately 6048 km per hour—nearly ten times the speed of an airplane. As the Vikram lander decelerates, still maintaining a near-horizontal orientation, it enters the rough braking phase lasting about 11 minutes.

Subsequently, controlled maneuvers will pivot the Vikram lander into a vertical position—ushering in the 'fine braking phase'. During the Chandrayaan-2 mission, the Vikram lander lost control and crashed during this very phase.

At an altitude of 800 meters above the lunar surface, both horizontal and vertical velocities dwindle to zero. The Vikram lander hovers, meticulously surveying the landing area.

Continuing its descent, the Vikram lander halts once more at 150 meters, capturing images for hazard detection and optimal landing site assessment.

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With the aid of two engines, the Vikram lander finally touches down on the lunar surface. Its specially designed legs can withstand an impact of up to 3 m/second or around 10.8 km per hour. Upon detecting the lunar surface, the leg sensors halt the engines, ending the harrowing twenty-minute interval.

Following landing, the lunar dust stirred by the impact settles. The Pragyaan Rover is then deployed, gently descending from the ramp.

As the Pragyaan Rover reaches the lunar surface, it gains freedom to traverse its surroundings.

The pinnacle of this event arrives as the Vikram lander captures images of the rover, reciprocated by the Pragyaan rover's images of the lander—marking India's first lunar surface selfies.

With the landing complete, the true scientific exploration begins. Both the Vikram lander and the rover are solar-powered and designed to endure one lunar day—equivalent to 14 Earth days.

In the event of a successful landing, India will proudly join the ranks of countries achieving soft landings on celestial bodies. This marks an exceptional stride for ISRO and an immense leap for India into the celestial unknown—an endeavour that resonates with the spirit of "Hanuman," symbolizing boundless aspirations for a nation of 1.4 billion.

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