Chandrayaan-3 inching closer to historic soft landing on Moon's south pole

In less than 48 hours, India is set to script history its third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 is scheduled to land on the Moon's south pole. The landing is slated for August 23, 2023, at 18.06 IST. If successful, India would become the first ever country to soft land on the Moon's south pole and join the ranks of the Soviet Union, US, and China to soft-land on the Moon. 

What's happening now?

• ISRO's shared four latest images from the moon's dark side, showing the rough terrain of its landing area.

• The images were captured by Chandrayaan-3's Lander Hazard Detection and Avoidance Camera (LHDAC), which is designed to help the mission's Vikram lander avoid potential hazards while landing. 
• ISRO also revealed that Chandrayaan-3 has established contact with its predecessor Chandrayaan-2's orbiter. 
• Chandrayaan-2 lander crash-landed on the moon's surface in 2019, but the orbiter remains in lunar orbit. 

• The connection with Chandrayaan-3 acts as a backup for ISRO as the mission is now connected to more than one established lines of communication, even if one were to fail. 
• Chandrayaan-3's lander is also able to communicate with the Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN), which is a network of large antennas and communication facilities that support spacecraft missions.
• Furthermore, the European Space Agency also said in a tweet that their new Norcia antenna in Australia is also connected to Chandrayaan-3 as a backup. 

The mission may be postponed

• Nilesh Desai, Director of Space Applications Centre-ISRO in Ahmedabad told media that the landing mission may be postponed to August 27 if factors are not favourable for landing on August 23. 

• So far, ISRO has said that all parts of the mission are in great health and no glitches have been encountered. 

Why is the mission so difficult?

There is a reason why India will be the first country to soft land on the moon's south pole, if successful. 

• Russia's Luna-25 which was in the race with India to soft land on the moon's south pole, before its spacecraft crashed into the moon's surface before its scheduled landing on August 21. 
• India also failed to soft land on the moon's south pole successfully with Chandrayaan-2 in 2019. Before India and Russia, an attempt by Japan and Israeli non-profit also failed in the mission.
• The dark side of the moon or the south pole never faces Earth and has been plunged into perpetual darkness for billions of years. 

• This far side of the moon frozen in ice where temperatures can drop below -300 degrees Fahrenheit, is expected to hold frozen water and other essential minerals. 
• Examination of moon samples has found evidence of water molecules. Scientists and countries are racing to the south pole in hopes of finding resources that can be used as fuel on Earth in the future. 
• But landing is not easy. Chandrayaan-3 is set to land on the plateau between two moon craters - Manzinus and Boguslawsky.
• The terrain is rugged and shallow moonquakes (seismic activity on the moon triggered by various factors including Earth's gravitational pulls) all have an impact on Chandrayaan-3's landing.

The success can also give India's space research programs and investment into private space missions a boost. The Indian government is looking for investment in private space research and satellite-related business. 

For now, everyone has their fingers crossed in hopes of a successful and historic mission.