Chandrayaan 3 Lander Rover Name, Weight, Sizes: Chandrayaan-3 is the third lunar Indian Space Mission project which was launched on July 14, 2023, at 2:36 pm IST from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Chandrayaan-3 propulsion module is like a communication relay satellite. As per ISRO Chairman S. Somnath, Chandrayaan-3 would land smoothly on Moon’s surface on August 23, at 5:47 pm IST. Chandrayaan-3 has three main components – a propulsion module, a lander, and a rover. In this article, we’ll discuss the Chandrayaan-3 Lander, and Rover, their Names, Weight, and Sizes.
Highlights: Chandrayaan-3 Lander & Rover Name, Weight, Sizes
| Article | Chandrayaan 3 Lander Rover Name, Weight, Sizes |
| Mission Name | Chandrayaan-3 |
| Launched by | ISRO |
| Mission Director | S. Mohankumar |
| Launch Date | July 14, 2023, at 2:35 pm IST |
| Main Components | Propulsion Module Lander Rover |
| Lander Name | Vikram |
| Rover Name | Pragyan |
| Propulsion Module Weight | 2148 kg |
| Lander Weight | 1726 kg |
| Rover Weight | 26 kg |
| Total Payload Mass | 3900 kg |
| Official Website | isro.gov.in |
Chandrayaan-3 Lander & Rover Names
Chandrayaan-3 has three main components – a propulsion module, a lander, and a rover. Lander and rover are very similar to that of Chandrayaan-2. Lander is named as ‘Vikram’ and the rover is named as ‘Pragyan’ in the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
Chandrayaan-3 consists of an indigenous Lander module (LM), a Propulsion module (PM), and a Rover to develop and demonstrate new technologies required for Interplanetary missions. The Lander will have the capability to soft land at a specified lunar site and deploy the Rover which will carry out in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface during its mobility.
The main function of the PM is to carry the LM from launch vehicle injection to the final lunar 100 km circular polar orbit and separate the LM from the PM. Apart from this, the Propulsion Module also has one scientific payload as a value addition which will be operated post-separation of the Lander Module. The launcher identified for Chandrayaan-3 is GSLV-Mk3 which will place the integrated module in an Elliptic Parking Orbit (EPO) of size ~170 x 36500 km.
Weight & Sizes of Lander and Rover in Chandrayaan-3
Chandrayaan-3 consists of three main components:
Propulsion Module: The propulsion module will carry the lander and rover configuration till the 100 km lunar orbit. It is a box-like structure with one large solar panel mounted on one side and a large cylinder on top that acts as a mounting structure for the lander. The payload mass weight of the propulsion module is 2148 kg.
Lander:
The lander is responsible for the soft landing on the Moon. It is also box-shaped, with four landing legs and four landing thrusters of 800 newtons each. It will be carrying the rover and various scientific instruments to perform in-site analysis. Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) to measure the thermal conductivity and temperature; the 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 passive Laser Retroreflector Array from NASA is accommodated for lunar laser ranging studies. The Payload Mass Weight of the Lander Module (Vikram) is 1726 kg.
To achieve the objective of the lander, several advanced technologies have been used in the Chandrayaan-3 such as:
- Altimeters: Laser & RF based Altimeters
- Velocimeters: Laser Doppler Velocimeter & Lander Horizontal Velocity Camera
- Inertial Measurement: Laser Gyro based Inertial referencing and Accelerometer package
- Propulsion System: 800N Throttleable Liquid Engines, 58N attitude thrusters & Throttleable Engine Control Electronics
- Navigation, Guidance & Control (NGC): Powered Descent Trajectory design and associate software elements
- Hazard Detection and Avoidance: Lander Hazard Detection & Avoidance Camera and Processing Algorithm
- Landing Leg Mechanism.
Rover:
It is a six-wheeled design of 26 kg with a range of 500 meters for communication with the lander and ground control team in India. It consists of scientific instruments including cameras, spectrometers, and a drill with an expected life span of one lunar day (14 Earth days). Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) for deriving the elemental composition in the vicinity of the landing site. The Payload Mass Weight of the Rover (Pragyan) is 26 kg.
So, the total payload mass weight of Chandrayaan-3 is 3900 kg.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission Objective
During Chandrayaan-2, due to some last-minute glitch, it crashed before landing on the surface of the Moon. In Chandrayaam-3, the primary objective of the mission is to have a soft landing on the Moon’s surface. ISRO has set three objectives for the mission, which are:
- Getting a lander to land safely and softly on the surface of the Moon.
- Observing and demonstrating the rover’s loitering capabilities on the Moon.
- In-site observation & conducting experiments on the materials available on the lunar surface to better understand the composition of the Moon.
Chandrayaan-3 Landing Date & Time
As per ISRO chairman S. Somanath, from the date of Chandraayaan-3 launch on 14 July 2023, its lander would touch the Moon’s surface approximately the last week of August month. 23 August 2023 is the expected date of its landing at 5:47 pm IST.