ISRO mentioned on Monday that in one other distinctive experiment, just like the hop experiment on the Vikram Lander, the PM of Chandrayaan-3 was moved from an orbit across the Moon to an orbit round Earth. File
| Photo Credit: ANI
The Chandrayaan-3’s Propulsion Module (PM) has been moved from Lunar orbit to Earth’s orbit.
ISRO mentioned on Monday that in one other distinctive experiment, just like the hop experiment on the Vikram Lander, the PM of Chandrayaan-3 was moved from an orbit across the Moon to an orbit round Earth.
“With regard to the PM, the main objective was to ferry the Lander module from GTO to the final lunar polar circular orbit and separate the Lander. Subsequent to separation, Spectro-polarimetry of HAbitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload in the PM was also operated. The initial plan was to operate this payload for about three months during the mission life of PM,” ISRO mentioned in an replace.
“The precise orbit injection by LVM3 and optimal earth / lunar burn maneuvers, resulted in the availability of over 100 kg of fuel in the PM after over one month of operations in the lunar orbit. It was decided to use the available fuel in the PM to derive additional information for future lunar missions and demonstrate the mission operation strategies for a sample return mission,” the house company added.
ISRO mentioned that so as to proceed SHAPE payload for Earth commentary, it was determined to re-orbit the PM to an acceptable Earth orbit.
“This mission plan was worked out considering the collision avoidance such as preventing the PM from crashing on to the Moon’s surface or entering into the Earth’s GEO belt at 36000 km and orbits below that. Considering the estimated fuel availability and the safety to GEO spacecrafts, the optimal Earth return trajectory was designed for October 2023 month,” ISRO mentioned.
Updating on the PM, ISRO mentioned that the primary maneuver was carried out on October 9, 2023 to increase apolune altitude to 5112 km from 150 km thus, rising the interval of orbit from 2.1 hrs to 7.2 hrs. Later, contemplating the estimate of obtainable propellant, the second maneuver plan was revised to goal an Earth orbit of 1.8 lakhs x 3.8 lakhs km.
The Trans-Earth Injection (TEI) maneuver was carried out on October 13, 2023. In the post-TEI maneuver realized orbit, propulsion module made 4 Moon fly-bys earlier than departing Moon SOI on November 10. Currently, propulsion module is orbiting Earth and crossedits first perigee on November twenty second with an altitude of 1.54 lakhs km. The orbit interval is sort of 13 days with 27 deg inclination. The perigee and apogee altitude range throughout its trajectory and the expected minimal perigee altitude is 1.15 lakhs km. Hence as per present orbit prediction, there isn’t any threats of shut strategy with any operational Earth orbiting satellites.
“As per plan, SHAPE payload is being operated whenever Earth is in its field of view. Also, a special operation of the SHAPE payload was carried out on October 28, 2023 during a Solar Eclipse.The Shape payload operations will continue further,” ISRO mentioned.
The house company added that the UR Rao Satellite Centre/ISRO’s flight dynamics workforce has developed an evaluation device from first rules for this operation which is being validated via the return maneuvers carried out for the Chandrayaan-3 PM.
It might be recalled that the first goal of Chandrayaan-3 mission was to display tender touchdown close to the lunar south polar area and carry out experiments utilizing the devices on Vikram and Pragyaan.
The spacecraft was launched on July 14, 2023 on-board LVM3-M4 car from SDSC, SHAR. On August twenty third Vikram Lander made its historic landing on Moon and subsequently Pragyan rover was deployed. The scientific devices in Lander and Rover have been operated repeatedly for 1 lunar day as per the outlined mission life. The mission targets of Chandrayaan-3 have been utterly met, mentioned ISRO.
The Chandrayaan-3 consists of an indigenous Lander module (LM), Propulsion module (PM) and a Rover with an goal of creating and demonstrating new applied sciences required for Inter planetary missions. The Lander can have the aptitude to tender land at a specified lunar web site and deploy the Rover which can perform in-situ chemical evaluation of the lunar floor through the course of its mobility. The Lander and the Rover have scientific payloads to perform experiments on the lunar floor. The principal operate of PM is to carry the LM from launch car injection until remaining lunar 100 km round polar orbit and separate the LM from PM. Apart from this, the Propulsion Module additionally has one scientific payload as a worth addition which might be operated put up separation of Lander Module.
ISRO added added that the next are the primary consequence from the return maneuvers carried out on PM associated to future missions:
*Planning and execution of trajectory and maneuvers to return from Moon to Earth.
*Development of a software program module to plan such a maneuver and its preliminary validation.
*Planning and execution of a gravity assisted flyby throughout a planets/ celestial physique.
*Avoiding uncontrolled crashing of the PM on the Moon’s floor on the finish of lifetime of PM thus assembly the necessities of no particles creation.
