Dr S Somnath, the Secretary of the Department of space and Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has been recently awarded with the prestigious International Astronautical Federation (IAF) World Space Award. The Award has been presented for the success of mission Chandrayaan-3.

On Monday, October 14^th, 2024 an award ceremony was conducted during the 75^th International Astronautical Congress in Milan, Italy. This is an annual event scheduled from October 14 to 18, 2024. It brings together space professionals, researchers and enthusiasts from around the different corners of the world. It discusses advancements in science, technology and exploration.

Mission Chandrayaan-3 Success!

The International Astronautical Federation announced the award in June this year. It acknowledged the missions accomplishment, where India made history by becoming the first nation to land near the lunar South Pole on August 23, 2023. It landed with its Chandrayaan-3 mission.

This was the significant achievement in the space exploration, showcasing Indias growing capabilities in lunar science and technology.

Noting this achievement on its official website, the IAF mentioned, Chandrayaan-3 mission by ISRO exemplifies the synergy of scientific curiosity and cost-effective engineering, symbolizing Indias commitment to excellence and the vast potential that space exploration offers humanity. Rapidly unveiling previously undiscovered facets of the Moons composition and geology, the mission stands as a global testament to innovation.

Achieving a historic milestone, Chandrayaan-3 becomes the first to touch down near the lunar South Pole, showcasing both aspiration and technological prowess on an international scale.

About Chandrayaan-3 Mission

The Chandrayaan-3 mission is Indias third lunar exploration mission launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The mission was launched on July 14, 2023. It was aimed to demonstrate a safe and smooth landing on the moons surface, especially near the lunar South Pole.

On August 23, 2023, Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed close to the lunar South Pole. This makes India the first nation to achieve this milestone. The mission provided valuable insights from lunars surface, its composition, temperature and seismic activity.

Objectives of Chandrayaan-3:

• To showcase safe and smooth landing on Moons lunar Surface
• To gather data and other information on moon
• To conduct in-situ scientific experiments

Key Components of the Mission:

• Lander (Vikram): The spacecraft consist of a Lander module, which is designed to perform efficient landing and deploy the rover. It carries scientific instruments surface, including the Chandras surface Thermophysical experiment (ChaSTE) and the instrument for lunar seismic Activity (ILSA).
• Rover (Pragyan): It is a small, six wheeled vehicle that is placed to conduct on sight chemical analysis of the lunar surface using instruments like Alpha Particle X-ray spectrometer (APXS) and the Laser Induced Breakdown spectroscope (LIBS).
• Propulsion Module: This module transports the lander and rover to lunar orbit and carries the spectro-polarmetry of Habitable Planet  Earth (SHAPE) payload to study earths atmosphere from lunar orbit.