First National Space Day

Context:

India to celebrate its First National Space Day, marking the anniversary of Chandraayan-3’s historic moon landing.

About:

The Indian government officially designated August 23 as National Space Day in recognition of this significant accomplishment, reflecting India’s expanding capabilities in space exploration and highlighting the vital role of space science and technology in national development.

• The Chandrayaan-3 mission, launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, achieved a safe and soft landing of the Vikram Lander on the Moon’s surface.
• This achievement signifies a historic milestone for the nation, as India became “only the fourth country globally to successfully land a rover on the Moon” and the “first to do so in the southern polar region”.
• Accompanied by the Pragyaan Rover, the Vikram Lander touched down at a site designated as ‘Shiv Shakti.’
• Following the successful landing, the Pragyaan Rover was deployed, further advancing India’s exploration efforts on the lunar surface.
• The theme for National Space Day 2024 is “Touching Lives while Touching the Moon: India’s Space Saga,”.
• It highlighting the broader impact of space exploration on society and emphasising how advancements in space technology can enhance the quality of life on Earth.
• The day aims to engage the public and inspire future generations to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
• National Space Day serves not only as a celebration of India’s achievements in space but also as a platform to promote awareness and education about the importance of space exploration.

About Chandraayan-3 Mission:

Chandrayaan-3is India's third lunar mission and second attempt at achieving a soft landing on the moon's surface.

On July 14, 2023, Chandrayaan-3took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The spacecraft seamlessly entered lunar orbit on August 5, 2023. The historic moment unfolded when the lander made a successful touchdown near the Lunar south pole on Aug 23, 2023.

• Mission Objectives :
• To demonstrate Safe and Soft Landing on Lunar Surface
• To demonstrate Rover roving on the moon and
• To conduct in-situ scientific experiments.
• Components:
• Chandrayaan-3 is a three-component mission consisting of a Propulsion Module, a Lander Module, and a Rover Module.
• The Propulsion Module :It will carry the lander and rover configuration till 100 km lunar orbit.This propulsion module hasSpectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE)payload to study the spectral and Polari metric measurements of Earth from the lunar orbit.
• The Lander Module: The Lander Module (Vikram) is carrying a scientific payload that includes a suite of instruments to study the lunar surface and atmosphereChandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE)to measure the thermal conductivity and temperature;Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA)for measuring the seismicity around the landing site;Langmuir Probe (LP)to estimate the plasma density and its variations. A passiveLaser Retroreflector Arrayfrom NASA is accommodated for lunar laser ranging studies.
• The Rover Module:The Rover Module(Pragyan) is carrying a suite of instruments to study the lunar surface and subsurface which includesAlpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS)andLaser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)for deriving the elemental composition in the vicinity of landing site.

• Major Findings:
• Lunar Surface Temperature Surprise: Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) measured temperatures reaching 70 degrees Celsius, surprising scientists who expected temperatures between 20 to 30 degrees Celsius.
• Lunar Surface Elements Confirmed: The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy instrument onboard 'Pragyan' rover confirmed the presence of Sulphur on the lunar surface near the south pole.Elements such as Aluminum, Calcium, Iron, Chromium, Titanium, Manganese, Silicon, and Oxygen were also detected.