India launches historic Chandrayaan-3 moon-landing mission
, which scientists think can be mined for rocket fuel. Lunar water ice could also be crucial for life support, making the south pole region a tantalizing target for moon bases.
Chandrayaan-3's touchdown, targeted for Aug. 23 or Aug. 24, would be historic; successful past missions have landed near the moon's equator, and those that aimed to reach the south pole have. Unlike more accessible equatorial areas, where sunlight is plentiful for solar-powered spacecraft, the south polar regions receive sunlight at low angles, and the long shadows there make safe landing a challenge.
ISRO scientists are banking on a new algorithm encapsulated into Chandrayaan-3's software. Rather than interpret speed from static images as Chandrayaan-2 did, the new technology onboard Chandrayaan-3 is designed to estimate spacecraft speed in real time as the probe descends toward the lunar surface.
In addition, the legs on the lander, which is named Vikram , have been strengthened to help it survive a slightly high landing speed. And the area in which the spacecraft can touch down has also been significantly widened to allow some room for error and ultimately increase chances of success, ISRO Chairman S.
While the solar-powered robotic duo is not expected to survive a frigid night on the moon,"there are faint chances of extra-efficient battery charge," Sinha told Space.com."If this is good, another 14 [Earth] days might be available."
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