Chandrayaan 3 vs Luna 25: A tight race to the Moon captures global interest | India News – Times of India
With this, India is now just days away from realising its long awaited dream of a lunar touchdown. However, it is not the only country aiming for the Moon this time.
On Wednesday, Russia’s Luna-25 joined Chandrayaan-3 in the lunar orbit as it gears up for its own landing on Moon’s uncharted south pole.
But the million-dollar question is: who will hit the lunar ground first?
The overlapping timelines of both the missions has resulted in a thrilling competition in the skies between the two global powers.
While Chandrayaan-3 plans to be the first to land on the Moon’s south pole, Luna-25’s swift trajectory has cast new light, say experts as anticipation builds up.
The proximity, possible overlap, of their landing dates — August 21-23 for Luna-25 and August 23-24 for Chandrayaan-3 — has intensified global scrutiny.
Two missions, different trajectories
Even though both Chandrayaan-3 and Luna-25 are within sniffing distance (as far as cosmic scales are concerned) of the Moon at the same time, the missions followed a different trajectory to reach there.
Chandrayaan-3, the third mission in India’s lunar exploration series, began its journey on July 14 and successfully entered lunar orbit on August 5. It is meticulously adjusting its orbit in preparation for a soft landing attempt within 40 days of launch.
Meanwhile, Russia launched Luna-25 on August 10 and is taking a more direct trajectory to the Moon, potentially allowing it to attempt a landing as early as August 21, about 11 days.
With Luna-25, Russia is making a momentous return to lunar exploration, its first in almost five decades since the iconic Soviet-era Luna-24 mission in 1976.
The rapid journey of Luna-25 is attributed to the mission’s lightweight design and efficient fuel storage, enabling it to take a shorter path to its destination.
This is actually a key factor in the differing arrival times of the two missions.
Luna-25 has a leaner lift-off mass of only 1,750 kilograms, significantly lighter than Chandrayaan-3’s 3,800 kg. This reduced mass allows Luna-25 to accelerate more effectively, according to Isro.
Moreover, Luna-25’s surplus fuel storage eliminates fuel efficiency concerns, enabling it to undertake a more direct route, explained former ISRO chairperson Dr K Sivan. In contrast, Chandrayaan-3’s fuel-carrying capacity constraints required a more circuitous route to the Moon.
But does it matter who arrives first?
Experts say the order of arrival does not make much of a difference and what matters is the knowledge gained from each mission.
“In the grand scope of cosmic exploration, the order of arrival may not significantly alter the lunar landscape. Yet, the knowledge gained from each mission will enrich our understanding of the Moon’s past and potential. The value lies in the sum of our combined efforts,” Chrisphin Karthick, scientist at Bangalore’s Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), told PTI.
Dr Sivan echoed a similar view, saying that while the order of arrival won’t significantly impact the mission outcomes, it does reinforce the collective commitment to exploring new frontiers.
The lunar landscape, he said, is unique and presents distinct challenges. The mission’s success isn’t solely determined by the order of landing.
“Lunar exploration demands higher thruster power and advanced technologies, each contributing to the overall success,” Sivan said.
IIA’s Karthick said that healthy competition is a catalyst for growth and the race to the lunar south pole fosters a dynamic environment where nations can learn from each other’s achievements and setbacks.
“This competition ignites a spirit of innovation, pushing us to improve our spacefaring capabilities collectively.”
Lunar gold rush
The healthy lunar race between India and Russia comes at a time of renewed global interest in space exploration, especially that of the Moon’s.
Countries like US and China are now planning manned missions to the Moon to uncover the secrets of Earth’s celestial neighbour.
“The south pole of the Moon offers a treasure trove of scientific opportunities. Investigating this region will yield valuable insights, contributing to our understanding of the Moon’s history and evolution,” Karthick said.
From water to Helium-3 to rare earth metals, the unexplored part of the Moon may hold enough elements to turn into the next frontier of human exploration.
But exactly how the laws of mining would work on Moon is still unclear and full of gaps. For now, it’s all about unlocking its potential.
(With inputs from PTI)
