Lunar South Pole Mission: Russia’s Luna 25 and India’s Chandrayaan-3

luna

Central Idea

The moon exploration scene has intensified as Russia’s “Luna 25” mission prepares for a soft landing near the lunar South Pole, challenging India’s “Chandrayaan-3” in the race to touch down first.
While Luna 25’s earlier launch and more direct trajectory give it an edge, Chandrayaan-3’s unique features and India-Russia collaboration in space activities also merit attention.

Launch and Orbit: Luna 25 was launched on August 10, aiming to enter lunar orbit by August 16.
Lunar Landing Date: The Russian lander is anticipated to attempt a soft landing between August 21 and 22, ahead of Chandrayaan-3’s possible landing date of August 23.

Trajectory and Fuel Storage: Luna 25 followed a direct trajectory due to its lighter payload and higher fuel efficiency.
Payload Comparison: Luna 25’s lift-off mass is 1,750 kg, significantly lighter than Chandrayaan-3’s 3,900 kg. The latter includes a Lander-Rover and propulsion module.
Lunar Dawn Advantage: Luna 25 benefits from an earlier lunar dawn at its landing site, ensuring optimal power generation through solar panels.

Lunar dawn is the period on the Moon when the Sun is about to rise over the lunar horizon, resulting in the gradual illumination of the lunar surface, similar to Earth’s sunrise.
During lunar dawn, the Moon’s surface transitions from darkness to light as the Sun’s rays gradually touch and illuminate different areas.
It occurs due to the Moon’s rotation on its axis, causing changing lighting conditions as it orbits the Earth.
Unlike Earth, the Moon lacks a significant atmosphere, resulting in distinct lighting, sharp shadows, and no diffusion of sunlight.
Astronauts on lunar missions, like the Apollo missions, have observed lunar dawn first-hand, providing unique perspectives on the Moon’s surface.

Coated Rover: Chandrayaan-3 boasts a rover with a 500-metre range, unlike Luna 25.
Scientific Objectives: Chandrayaan-3 emphasizes soil and water-ice study, especially near the southern pole, owing to craters in permanent shadow.
Experiment Suite: Chandrayaan-3’s Lander carries experiments like RAMBHA, ChaSTE, ILSA, and LRA, providing crucial insights into moon’s properties.

India-Russia Space Collaboration: Both countries have collaborated extensively in space activities, such as Russia’s contribution to India’s Chandrayaan-2 mission’s lander-rover design.
Chandrayaan-1 to Chandrayaan-2 Gap: India developed its lander-rover technology independently after Russia’s withdrawal, leading to an 11-year gap between Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2 missions.

Human Moon Missions Race: India, the US, and China are actively pursuing human moon missions after India’s Chandrayaan-1’s water molecule discovery in 2008.
Progress and Challenges: While India has made strides, countries like the US and China have achieved landing and sample return missions. India’s efforts to develop heavier launch vehicles for more ambitious missions continue.