National Space Day: How Chandrayaan-3 shaped India’s aerospace cred & our knowledge of the Moon

August 23 marks a significant milestone in India’s history, and will be remembered forever as the day the country made its indelible mark on space exploration.

A year ago, on this day, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), under the leadership of S Somanath, achieved an extraordinary feat by successfully landing the Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander near the Moon’s South Pole.

This monumental achievement not only elevated India’s status in the global space community but also established the country as a pioneer, being the first to land near the lunar South Pole.

Chandrayaan-3’s First Anniversary
As India celebrates the first anniversary of the Chandrayaan-3 landing on National Space Day, it is clear that this achievement is not just a historical moment but also a stepping stone towards a future where India continues to lead in space exploration and technology.

The successes of the past year have laid a solid foundation for the ambitious goals that lie ahead, including the establishment of India’s first space station by 2035 and the landing of the first Indian on the Moon by 2040. The journey that began with Chandrayaan-3 is far from over; it is only the beginning of India’s bold foray into the final frontier.

The success of Chandrayaan-3 went beyond just landing on the Moon. It catapulted India into an elite group of nations, joining the ranks of the former USSR, the United States, and China, who have accomplished lunar landings.

This achievement, however, was not just a leap in space exploration; it also marked India’s entry into a prestigious league of nations that have demonstrated advanced space capabilities.

The triumph of the Chandrayaan-3 mission was a testament to years of perseverance, learning, and innovation. It followed the unfortunate failure of Chandrayaan-2 in 2019, where the mission was tragically cut short just minutes before the lander could make a soft landing. The disappointment of Chandrayaan-2 heightened the tension and anticipation surrounding Chandrayaan-3.

However, this setback also served as a crucial learning experience, ultimately making the success of Chandrayaan-3 even more rewarding.

Beyond the Moon: Chandrayaan-3’s Legacy
The Chandrayaan-3 mission not only fulfilled its primary objectives but also ventured beyond, conducting a series of in-situ experiments that yielded groundbreaking discoveries. The Vikram lander and Pragyan rover played crucial roles in these experiments, revealing the presence of significant minerals on the Moon and testing India’s landing and roving capabilities. These findings not only contributed to our understanding of the Moon but also set the stage for future interplanetary missions by ISRO.

Senior scientists from ISRO shared that the success of the mission allowed for additional “bonus experiments” that were not initially planned. The constantly changing landing conditions and the preservation of fuel enabled the Chandrayaan-3 module to carry out these extra experiments, providing further insights into the lunar surface.

In the days leading up to the first anniversary of Chandrayaan-3’s landing, the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad, one of ISRO’s key scientific labs, released the mission’s findings. Among these was the significant discovery that an ocean of liquid molten rocks once covered the Moon’s South Pole, supporting the theory that magma formed the Moon’s surface around 4.5 billion years ago. This finding adds a new dimension to our understanding of the Moon’s geological history.

Moreover, the Pragyan rover confirmed the presence of various minerals on the Moon, including sulfur, aluminum, calcium, iron, chromium, and titanium. Further analysis revealed the presence of manganese, silicon, and oxygen. These discoveries are not just scientific milestones but also lay the groundwork for future explorations and the potential for resource utilization on the Moon.

In addition to these mineral findings, Chandrayaan-3 conducted seismic readings, detecting both the movement of the rover and other scientific instruments on the Moon’s surface, as well as what appeared to be a “natural event.” These seismic readings offer valuable data for understanding the Moon’s internal structure and geological activity.

On September 3, 2023, another remarkable achievement was recorded when the Vikram lander successfully conducted the ‘hop experiment.’ This involved firing its rockets to reach a height of 40 cm and landing back on the lunar surface. Only a few countries have demonstrated the ability to take off and land again on a celestial body, and this experiment showcased India’s growing expertise in space technology.

Furthermore, ISRO successfully brought back the propulsion module of Chandrayaan-3 from lunar orbit to Earth’s orbit. These tests established India’s capabilities not just in sending objects to space but also in safely returning them to Earth, a critical requirement for future lunar missions.

The Road Ahead: Expanding India’s Space Sector
The success of Chandrayaan-3 has undoubtedly paved the way for the expansion of India’s space sector. In the wake of this achievement, the country has witnessed a surge in high-profile space missions and increased investments in the sector.

The Indian government has taken significant steps to support this growth, including the introduction of the New Space Policy in 2023, which opened the doors to private players and clearly defined the roles of various stakeholders in satellite building, technology development, and infrastructure.

“In the last one year, since we as a nation landed on the moon, Agnikul has had the unique opportunity to fly a new kind of launch vehicle demonstrator out of Indian soil from our own private launchpad that was enabled by IN-SPACe and ISRO,” says Srinath Ravichandran, Co-Founder and CEO, Agnikul Cosmo.

“India has now truly become an enabler of everyone’s space tech dreams and is already well on its way to become a global leader in all aspects of space technology,”  he added.

Says Akash Yalagach, CTO and Co-Founder, KaleidEO, “The Indian space technology startup ecosystem has experienced remarkable growth over the past decade, especially post the sector’s liberalization, the government has significantly enabled the private sector’s development through multiple initiatives. Key measures like the Indian Space Policy, 2023, the National Geospatial Policy, 2022, as well as amendments to the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy highlight the support ISRO and In-SPACe have taken for the private space sector.

“Most recently, the announcement of allocation of a Rs 1000 crore venture capital fund during the Union Budget 2024 and the announcement of a Public-Private Partnership to develop a comprehensive Earth Observation System, are very positive indicators of the belief of the Government to substantially enhance the sector’s progress,” he added.

“India aims to capture 10 per cent of the global space economy over the next 10 years and Indian Space Policy 2023, ISRO & IN-SPACe have created a framework for startups like Agnikul, Galaxeye, Astrogate, KawaSpace & InspeCity to participate in India’s space revolution,” says Vishesh Rajaram, Managing Partner at Speciale Invest.

He added, “As the country celebrates its first National Space Day, we can expect to see a new wave of space-focused startups emerging, driven by the promise of a lucrative market, government support, and the thrill of exploring the unknown.”

As India continues to make strides in space exploration, the role of the private sector will become increasingly important. The government’s efforts to create pathways for commercialization, streamline FDI applications, and explore updates to taxation policies on intellectual property in the deep tech sector will be crucial in supporting innovation and ensuring sustained growth and success.