Chandrayaan-3’s Moon landing will come down to one critical manoeuver, says former ISRO chief

As the Chandrayaan-3 mission’s lander module gets ready to touch down on the Moon’s surface, G Madhavan Nair, former ISRO Chairman, is holding his breath. He recognizes that this manoeuvre is a highly intricate one, where all systems need to harmonize for success.

Nair, who was at the helm during the launch of Chandrayaan-1 in 2008, stressed that a successful landing marks a significant start for ISRO’s next phase of exploring other planets.

Speaking with PTI, Nair shared, “It’s a very complex manoeuvre. We came really close (to a soft landing on the Moon in Chandrayaan-2) in the final two kilometres (above the lunar surface).” He noted the multitude of elements that need to work together—thrusters, sensors, altimeters, software, and more. Any glitch, no matter how minor, could potentially throw everything off course, he cautioned.

“We need to exercise caution and stay vigilant. Granted, ISRO has carried out extensive simulations and built-in redundancies to minimize the risk of failure. Still, we must remain cautiously optimistic,” Nair added.

According to ISRO’s schedule, the lander module carrying the rover is anticipated to make contact with the lunar surface at around 6:04 PM on Wednesday.

Nair explained that data gathered from the lunar surface could shed light on various aspects such as identifying rare minerals, like helium-3, and exploring the possibility of establishing a presence or conducting research near the lunar south pole. Nair stressed that a successful soft landing would mark the commencement of a significant phase in ISRO’s planetary exploration journey.