Live Updates on Chandrayaan-3 Lunar Landing: Indian Space Research Organisation's Chandrayaan-3 moon mission is poised for a gentle lunar touchdown. The anticipated time for the Vikram lander's soft landing is 6:04 PM. Live coverage of the landing procedures commenced at 5:20 PM and is accessible on Doordarshan TV channel, the ISRO website, and various social media platforms.

Chandrayaan-3 follows in the footsteps of the Chandrayaan-2 mission conducted in 2019, during which the Vikram lander encountered an unsuccessful landing on the lunar surface. The primary objective of this mission is clear—demonstrate ISRO's capability to achieve a successful soft landing on the Moon. If the mission accomplishes this feat, India will become a part of an exclusive group of nations that have achieved soft landings on the Moon. Currently, this group consists of just three countries—the United States, the Soviet Union, and China.

Decisive Moments Await Chandrayaan-3's Landing: The '15 Minutes of Terror'

As Chandrayaan-3 nears its landing phase, the significance of the final few minutes, often referred to as the "15 minutes of terror," cannot be overstated, as they will ultimately determine the mission's outcome. Within this critical window, the Vikram lander's operations will be governed by the programmed logic embedded in its onboard computers, relinquishing remote control. While vigilant mission controllers at ISTRAC will be closely overseeing the process, the lion's share of responsibilities will rest on the spacecraft's autonomous systems.

This approach arises due to the inherent delay of approximately two seconds in transmitting or receiving radio signals from the Moon. This time lapse could lead to up to four seconds of delay in responding to emergency situations, rendering it impractical. Hence, adopting autonomous systems for managing critical scenarios emerges as the optimal strategy.

ISRO Chairperson S Somanath explained earlier this month that even in the event of multiple sensor failures, the lander is designed to execute a landing, provided its propulsion system functions effectively. This design philosophy ensures that the lander can successfully land even if two of its engines encounter difficulties. The robust design hinges on proficient algorithms that enable the possibility of a vertical landing.

The upcoming landing phase is poised to determine the outcome of Chandrayaan-3's mission, encompassing both meticulous planning and advanced autonomous technology.