India's space agency, ISRO, is once again poised to make history as it undertakes the nail-biting mission of soft-landing the Chandrayaan-3's Vikram Lander with the Pragyaan rover near the moon's south pole. This daring endeavor is reminiscent of the "seven minutes of terror" that NASA's Mars rovers have faced during their descent to the Red Planet. For India, these crucial twenty minutes have been aptly termed the "20 Minutes of Terror," drawing a parallel to the intensity of a T-20 cricket match's tight finish.
Chandrayaan-3's journey began with the awe-inspiring lift-off of ISRO's Bahubali rocket, propelling it into orbit aboard the launch vehicle Mark-3. After a series of elliptical orbits around Earth to gain velocity, the spacecraft embarked on its lunar voyage on August 1. Subsequently, on August 5, Chandrayaan-3 elegantly slipped into the moon's orbit and settled there, readying itself for the next phase.
A significant milestone was reached on August 17 when the propulsion module and Vikram lander with the Pragyaan rover detached, while the propulsion module continued to orbit the moon. The Vikram lander, on the other hand, was meticulously maneuvered into a closer elliptical orbit around the moon's surface to initiate the powered descent phase, following the successful precedent set by Chandrayaan-2.
As the day of landing arrives, the atmosphere at ISRO's mission control in Bengaluru will be tense, mirroring the emotions of cricket fans during a close T-20 match. From an altitude of 25 km, the Vikram lander will initiate its powered descent, hurtling towards the lunar surface at a staggering velocity of 1.68 km per second, almost ten times faster than an airplane.
This high-stakes descent becomes a true test of engineering precision. At 800 meters above the moon's surface, the Vikram lander will transition to a hovering position, preparing to survey the landing strip. Further descent follows, with the lander hovering again at 150 meters to capture hazard detection images and search for the optimal landing site.
The final touchdown will be executed using just two engines, with the legs of the lander designed to absorb the impact. Upon sensing contact with the lunar surface, the engines will shut down, marking the end of the heart-pounding "20 Minutes of Terror." Lunar dust, or regolith, stirred up during the landing, will settle, and the ramp will open to release the Pragyaan Rover onto the lunar terrain.
This historic moment will be accentuated as the Vikram lander captures images of the rover and the Pragyaan rover reciprocates by photographing the lander. These images, serving as India's first lunar surface selfies, will be transmitted back to Earth. With both the Vikram lander and the rover being solar-powered, the mission is poised to embark on a journey of scientific discovery lasting a lunar day, equivalent to 14 Earth days.
If all goes according to plan, India will become the fourth country to achieve a successful soft landing on a celestial body. The mission will signify a small step for ISRO, but an immense leap for India as it marks a triumphant milestone in its space exploration journey. This endeavor is akin to a celestial "Hanuman" leap, symbolizing the remarkable capabilities of a nation of 1.4 billion people, setting its sights on the stars and beyond.
