The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to make history by working concurrently on two significant space missions — Chandrayaan-3 and Gaganyaan. This effort not only cements their place as a leading global player in the space science arena but also reflects on their immense capacity and innovation for future endeavours.
Chandrayaan-3: A Successor aiming for the Moon’s Southern Hemisphere
ISRO intends on continuing its exploration of the lunar surface with the Chandrayaan-3, a follow-up mission to the Chandrayaan-2 launched in July 2019. The upcoming mission aims to accomplish another soft-landing, replicating the spacecraft configuration, landing spot, and conducted experiments from its predecessor. While various lunar surface explorations have been undertaken by Russia, the U.S., and China, no agency has successfully landed in the moon’s southern hemisphere yet. ISRO aims to pioneer this achievement. The estimated cost of the Chandrayaan-3 mission is over Rs 600 crores, which is less than the expense incurred on the Chandrayaan-2 mission of Rs 960 crores.
Table: Cost Comparison of Chandrayaan Missions
| Mission | Cost (in Rs Crores) |
|---|---|
| Chandrayaan-2 | 960 |
| Chandrayaan-3 | >600 |
Gaganyaan: ISRO’s Major Human Space Flight Venture
ISRO is simultaneously working on Gaganyaan, an ambitious Rs 10,000-crore human space flight announced by the Prime Minister in August 2018. This mission envisions a 400-km orbit expedition where 3-7 crew members will spend 3-7 days in space. The first of two pre-Gaganyaan flights with a humanoid and selected microgravity experiments will be launched at the end of 2020. To guarantee the project’s success, ISRO has established an advisory committee for Gaganyaan and identified four astronauts for training in Russia starting January 2020.
Establishing Second Spaceport in Tamil Nadu
In addition to these missions, a second spaceport is being set up in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. The provincial government has commenced land acquisition for ISRO’s second launch port over 2300 acres. This location would provide considerable advantages over the existing launch centre at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, such as better fuel efficiency and safety during launches, especially those headed towards India’s South and the equator. Mainly, it will accommodate the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), capable of placing up to a 500 kg payload in space.
Motivating Factors for the Choice of Thoothukudi
ISRO chose Thoothukudi for its strategic location on the east coast and near the equator. Rockets launched eastward can leverage the Earth’s rotation to gain speed, thereby maximising fuel efficiency. Moreover, its southern locatedness allows direct access to a substantial unpopulated area beneath the flight path. In the event of a launch failure, any resultant debris would fall into the Bay of Bengal and minimise damage to property or loss of life. Additionally, having a southern launch site would cut down maneuvering around Sri Lanka, saving fuel and thus increasing the value of ISRO’s commercial ventures operator, Antrix.
