Chandrayaan-3 was launched from Sriharikota using the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 on July 14.
India's ambitious lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 is inching closer to its landing attempt after completing a fifth and final Moon-bound orbit manoeuvre on Wednesday. The spacecraft will now prepare for the propulsion module and the lander module separation scheduled to be attempted on August 23.
Chandrayaan-3 carries six payloads that would help ISRO understand the lunar soil and also click pictures of the Earth from the moon's orbit.
The payloads will carry out a series of path-breaking experiments during the 14-day mission that includes studying the moon's atmosphere and digging the surface to understand its mineral composition. There are a total of 3 types of payload on the Chandrayaan 3 — Lander, Rover and Propulsion Module
Lander Payloads
The first of Lander Payloads — Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA) — will measure the near-surface plasma (ions and electrons) density and its change with time.
Chandra's Surface Thermo-physical Experiment (ChaSTE) on spacecraft will carry out the measurements of thermal properties of the lunar surface near the polar region.
Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) is tasked to measure seismicity around the landing site and delineate the structure of the lunar crust and mantle.
Rover Payloads
The Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) will derive the chemical composition and infer the mineralogical composition to enhance the understanding of the lunar surface.
The Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS), on the other hand, will determine the elemental composition of lunar soil locks and the landing site.
Propulsion Module Payload
The Spectro-polarimetry of HAbitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) device, on the Chandrayaan-3, will study the spectropolarimeter signatures of the Earth in the near-infrared wavelength range that could be used in the search for life on exo-planets beyond the solar system.
Chandrayaan-3 was launched from Sriharikota using the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 on July 14. The spacecraft entered into the moon's orbit on August 5 and has been making lunar-bound manoeuvres since. The propulsion module of the lander Vikram of spacecraft is scheduled to separate on August 17 before attempting to make a landing on the lunar surface on August 23. After the lander touches down on the moon's surface, the Pragyaan rover will be rolled down, marking the beginning of 14 Earth Day planned scientific exploration.