Chandrayaan-3’s Propulsion Module Successfully Transitioned from Lunar to Earth Orbit

Chandrayaan-3's Propulsion Module Successfully Transitioned from Lunar to Earth Orbit

VoM News Desk | December 5, 2023 | 11:58 AM IST | Science & Technology | Follow on Google News

Chandrayaan-3’s Propulsion Module Successfully Transitioned from Lunar to Earth Orbit

Chandrayaan-3’s Propulsion Module Successfully Transitioned from Lunar to Earth Orbit

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) achieved another milestone with its Chandrayaan-3 mission, as the Propulsion Module (PM) was successfully transitioned from an orbit around the Moon to an orbit around Earth. This unique experiment involved an orbit-raising maneuver and a Trans-Earth injection maneuver, placing the PM in an Earth-bound orbit.

Mission Objectives and Achievements

The primary goal of the Chandrayaan-3 mission was to demonstrate a soft landing near the lunar south polar region and conduct experiments using instruments on the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover. Launched on July 14, 2023, the mission successfully completed its objectives with Vikram Lander’s historic touchdown on the Moon on August 23 and the deployment of the Pragyan rover. The mission met all its objectives, with instruments operating continuously for one lunar day.

Innovative Use of Propulsion Module

Originally, the Propulsion Module’s main task was to transport the Lander module from the Geostationary transfer orbit to the lunar polar circular orbit. After separation from the Lander, the PM operated the SHAPE (Spectro-polarimetry of the Habitable Planet Earth) payload. With over 100 kg of fuel remaining post-mission, ISRO decided to utilize this surplus for additional lunar mission insights and to demonstrate mission strategies for a potential sample return mission.

The SHAPE payload was initially planned for approximately three months of operation. However, to continue Earth observation, ISRO decided to re-orbit the PM to a suitable Earth orbit. This re-orbiting was carefully planned to avoid collisions and ensure the safety of other spacecraft, especially in the Earth’s GEO belt.

Orbit Maneuvers and Future Prospects

The PM underwent several maneuvers, including a Trans-Earth injection, and made four Moon fly-bys before departing the Moon’s sphere of influence. It is currently orbiting Earth with a nearly 13-day orbit period. The minimum perigee altitude is predicted to be 1.15 lakhs km, ensuring no close approach threat to operational Earth orbiting satellites. The SHAPE payload continues to operate, including special operations during a solar eclipse.

Implications for Future Missions

This operation by ISRO’s UR Rao Satellite Centre and the flight dynamics team has led to the development of a new analysis tool for such maneuvers. The successful execution of these maneuvers offers valuable insights for future missions, including trajectory planning from Moon to Earth, software module development for such maneuvers, execution of gravity-assisted flybys, and strategies to avoid uncontrolled crashing at the end of a mission’s life, thus adhering to no debris creation policies.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission’s successful transition of the Propulsion Module from lunar to Earth orbit marks a significant achievement for ISRO, showcasing its innovative capabilities and contributing to the understanding and development of future interplanetary missions.

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