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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chandrayaan-3 | 3/5 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandrayaan-3 | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T12:59:53.549254+00:00 | kb-cron |
=== Propulsion module reinserted to orbit around Earth === The propulsion module of Chandrayaan-3 was moved out of lunar orbit to an orbit around Earth. Although the plan was to operate SHAPE for three months in lunar orbit, it was decided to utilise over 100 kg of fuel left in the PM after one month of operation to derive additional information for future lunar missions, and determine strategies for sample return missions and gravity-assisted flyby missions. ISRO's flight dynamics team had developed software to be validated through these return manoeuvres. The first lunar bound apogee raising manoeuvre was executed on 9 October 2023 raising the apogee from 150 km to 5112 km and orbital period from 2.1 hours to 7.2 hours. The Trans-Earth Injection was done on 13 October 2023 with a targeted orbit of ~380,000 x 180,000 km. This was followed by four lunar flyby's with the last one on 7 November 2023. The module exited lunar SOI on 10 November 2023 and had the first perigee crossing on 22 November 2023 at an altitude of about 154,000 km. The propulsion module is currently orbiting Earth with a perigee and apogee altitude that vary during its trajectory and the predicted minimum perigee altitude is 115,000 kilometres (71,000 mi), with an orbital period of nearly 13 days with 27 degree inclination. The SHAPE payload is operated whenever Earth is in its field of view, as well during special events such as the 28 October 2023 solar eclipse. The SHAPE payload operations are planned to continue further.
=== Propulsion module additional lunar flyby phase === The PM made another flyby of the moon on November 6, 2025, at a distance of 3,740 km from the lunar surface, though it was outside the IDSN communication range at that time . A second, closely monitored flyby took place on November 11, 2025 at 23:18 UTC, brought the module whitin 4,537 km of the Moon to conduct engineering and scientific research.These events changed the satellite's orbital parameters,shifting its inclination from 34° to 22° with the lunar plane and expanding its elliptical orbit from 100,000 x 300,000 km to 409,000 x 727,000 km. During this phase it was also misattributed as a near earth asteroid, with a provisional designation as CE1M9G2.
=== Mission life === Propulsion module: Carries lander and rover to 100-by-100-kilometre (62 mi × 62 mi) orbit, with operation of experimental payload for up to six months but still in active service. Lander module: one lunar daylight period (14 Earth days). Rover module: one lunar daylight period (14 Earth days).
== Team == ISRO chairman: S. Somanath Mission director: S. Mohanakumar Associate mission director: G. Narayanan Project director: P. Veeramuthuvel Associate project director: Kalpana Kalahasti Vehicle director: Biju C. Thomas
== Funding == In December 2019, ISRO requested the initial funding of the project, amounting to ₹750 crore (US$79 million), out of which ₹600 crore (US$63 million) would be for meeting expenditure towards machinery, equipment, and other capital expenditure, while the remaining ₹150 crore (US$16 million) was sought for operating expenditure. Amit Sharma, CEO of an ISRO vendor, said, "With local sourcing of equipment and design elements, we are able to reduce the price considerably." Confirming the existence of the project in early 2020, ISRO's former chairman K. Sivan stated that the estimated cost would be around ₹615 crore (equivalent to ₹724 crore or US$77 million in 2023).
== Results == The Associated Press, while commenting on the success of the mission, said, "The successful mission showcases India's rising standing as a technology and space powerhouse and dovetails with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's desire to project an image of an ascendant country asserting its place among the global elite." About results on water existence, "There was no word on the outcome of the rover searches for signs of frozen water on the lunar surface (...)".
=== Temperature variation === ISRO also released data from the observations made by ChaSTE (Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment), one of the four instruments present on the lander module. ChaSTE was designed to study the heat conductivity of the Moon's surface and measure the differences in temperatures at different points on and below the surface, with the overall objective of creating a thermal profile of the Moon.The in-situ measurements of the temperature profile were the first to be made regarding the thermophysical properties within the top 10 cm of the lunar surface at a high latitude south polar landing location. ISRO scientist BH Darukesha said that the high range of 70 °C (158 °F) temperature near the surface was "not expected".
=== Detection of sulfur === On 29 August, ISRO reported that the laser-induced breakdown spectroscope (LIBS) instrument on board the Pragyan rover has "unambiguously" confirmed the presence of sulfur in the lunar surface near the south pole, through "first-ever in-situ measurements". The presence of sulfur on the Moon has been known before; however, it was detected for the first time near the south pole by the rover. Noah Petro, a project scientist at NASA, while speaking to the BBC, stated that while sulfur has been known to be in the lunar regolith from Apollo program samples, he described Pragyan's findings as a "tremendous accomplishment". Apart from sulfur, the rover also detected other elements including aluminium (Al), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), titanium (Ti), manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O). The agency said it is also searching for hydrogen (H).