What is the main task of India’s third moon mission which could not be achieved in its earlier mission? List the countries that have achieved this task. Introduce the subsystems in the spacecraft launched and explain the role of the Virtual Launch Control Centre at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre which contributed to the successful launch from Sriharikota. (250 words)

Mission objective

Chandrayaan-3 aimed to demonstrate a safe, controlled soft landing on the lunar surface and rover mobility after Chandrayaan-2’s lander lost communication during descent. India joined the United States, Russia/USSR and China among countries that had achieved a soft lunar landing before it; the mission also made India the first to land in the lunar south-polar region.

Spacecraft subsystems

• Propulsion module: transported the lander from Earth orbit to lunar orbit and carried the SHAPE payload.
• Vikram lander: propulsion, navigation, guidance, landing sensors, communications and scientific payloads for descent and surface operations.
• Pragyan rover: mobility, imaging, power, communication and instruments for in-situ lunar-soil and elemental studies.
• Thermal control, power systems, telemetry and tracking supported mission survival and data return.

Virtual Launch Control Centre

At VSSC, the VLCC enabled distributed, networked collaboration among launch-system teams, integrating telemetry, simulation, subsystem readiness, decision support and remote expert participation. It improved real-time coordination, testing, fault diagnosis and launch management while reducing dependence on a single physical control room.

Significance

The mission strengthened indigenous navigation, landing autonomy, space science capability and the technology base for future planetary missions.

Keywords

soft landing; Vikram; Pragyan; propulsion module; VLCC; lunar south pole