Tag: Chandrayaan-3

2023 ASCEND Adds Lunar Luncheon Session – Chandrayaan-3: The Journey to the Moon

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 6, 2023 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce a featured luncheon session – Chandrayaan-3: The Journey to the Moon, by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), during 2023 ASCEND at Caesars Forum, Las Vegas. The success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission makes India the fourth spacefaring nation to soft land on the moon.

Registration for the 2023 ASCEND event is open now. Journalists from around the world are invited to cover 2023 ASCEND; press passes are available for credentialed media by request.

Chandrayaan-3: The Journey to the Moon

  • Presenter: M. Sankaran, Distinguished Scientist and Director, U.R. Rao Satellite Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
  • Date: Tuesday, 24 October, 1245 hrs PT

In August, the world was captivated by the images from the surface of the moon as the Chandrayaan-3 mission unfolded in real time. From the successful landing at the south pole of the moon to the rollout of the Pragyan rover, the public – along with the professional aerospace community – watched in awe.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission included difficult engineering challenges – from safely landing on the moon to reaching the lunar south pole. Sankaran will share insights into the performance of Chandrayaan-3 onboard scientific instruments and key takeaways about the moon. He will cover the complex overall mission configuration, including highlights of the satellite bus systems and the objectives of the scientific instruments. Looking back, Sankaran also will discuss lessons learned from the Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2019. The Chandrayaan team has demonstrated remarkable resilience, persevering over time to continue advancing its lunar exploration program.

AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About ASCEND
Powered by AIAA, ASCEND promotes the collaborative, interdisciplinary, outcomes-driven community of professionals, students, and enthusiasts around the world who are accelerating humanity’s progress toward our off-world future! For more information, visit ascend.events, or follow ASCEND on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Statement on the Indian Space Research Organisation Chandrayaan-3 Mission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 24, 2023 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Executive Director Dan Dumbacher made the following statement:

“Congratulations to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on its successful landing at the south pole of the moon! We were thrilled watching the Chandrayaan-3 mission unfold in real time. We will be eagerly following the progress of the rover, Pragyan, and the ongoing mission in the coming days.

As the professional technical society for aerospace engineers, our members appreciate and understand the difficulty of this mission’s engineering challenges. Safely landing on the moon is a challenge and to reach the lunar south pole is an even greater accomplishment.

The ISRO team’s resilience is admirable. The Chandrayaan team has persevered over time to continue advancing its lunar exploration program. They have reached an historic milestone making India the fourth spacefaring nation to land on the moon. AIAA is honored to support the four AIAA student branches at universities in India and about 400 AIAA members across India.

We applaud India’s commitment to a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space, especially as it joined the Artemis Accords earlier this year. We believe the Artemis Accords establish important principles to guide cooperation among nations exploring space, including those participating in NASA’s Artemis program. As we expand the human neighborhood in low Earth orbit and beyond to the surface of the moon and cislunar space, we see the vital need for this type of cooperation among countries and industries.

On behalf of the 30,000 professional and student members of AIAA, we recognize the professionals in the aerospace industry involved in making this mission a success. We salute and applaud the ISRO team for making important contributions to shaping the future of aerospace.”

AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About AIAA

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Chandrayaan-3 Takes Lunar South Pole Temperature

SPACE reports India’s Chandrayaan-3 has been hard at work since its landmark landing on the lunar South Pole last week. On Sunday, ISRO posted an update on social media “regarding one of Chandrayaan-3’s payloads called the ChaSTE experiment, or Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment.” The purpose of this experiment “is to use a temperature probe as well as 10 individual temperature sensors to measure temperature profiles of lunar south pole soil.” ISRO says the goal “is for ChaSTE to help scientists understand what the thermal behavior of the moon’s surface is like.”
Full Story (SPACE)

India’s Moon Landing Sparks New Space Race

The Washington Post reports that India’s successful moon landing reflecting Russia’s failed moon landing has seemed to be the signal flare that has started a race to divide up the moon and the possibilities that that implies. China and the US are also players in going to the moon – with the US set to launch astronauts on a trip circling the moon in next year’s Artemis II mission, and land people on the moon with its future Artemis III trip in 2025. The budget differentials are staggering, with India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission costing $74 million and NASA’s Artemis program projecting to hit $93 billion. For governments, space exploration “was always in large part about the ability to project power and influence on Earth.” India’s mission “marks a soft-power win for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as New Delhi prepares to host the Group of 20 Summit next week.”
Full Story (The Washington Post)

After Russian Failure, India Will Attempt Landing at Lunar South Pole

The Wall Street Journal reports that attempts this week by Russia and India to place landers on the moon are just the most high-profile cases of an array of national and industry efforts to explore the lunar south pole, where scientists have detected water. India’s space agency is expected to attempt a landing on Wednesday as part of its Chandrayaan-3 mission.
Full Story (The Wall Street Journal – subscription publication)