Chandrayaan 3: Launch and Discussions

[Dilbu]

No sir I was asking if there is a handle dedicated for CY3.

[SSSalvi]

They don't have a dedicated handle onlee

[arvin]

5th orbit raising maneovure done

https://twitter.com/isro/status/1683767 ... gr%5Etweet

Orbit expected to be 127609 km x 236 km.

Aug 1 will be TLI firing

[disha]

They don't have a dedicated handle onlee

That is an example of ISRO public outreach/PR not up to par, or inversely proportional to their technical prowess.

The @twitter notoriously swapped the photos of the LVM3/C3 mission rocket with GSLVMk3 photos and tweeted a successful launch. That was pathetic, as if ppl are ignorant and dumb to not catch the difference.

And it was only after YouTuber GareebScientist pointed out that the updates on ISRO web site and tweet handles is not up to date, they started posting information.

How difficult is to create a tweet handle for C3?

The launch coverage was pathetic. During the launch sequences, the cameramen reportedly zooms on to people and it gets distracting. When ISRO launches humans, I hope it has better coverage. Or reach out to Americans to get them a very good event management & marketing company. Given that 8M tuned in worldwide for the launch.

Can India set up her own independence by creating its own communication network that would basically sidestep the need to use US Deep Space Network and be subject to US's whims and requirements?

All international agencies cooperate to share the data. It is not upto US Deep Space network and not subject to US's whims and requirements! And no they are not doing ISRO any favour, since it is common to share telemetry data and use the deep space network.

And this is important. As India steps into space (human space flight program, robotic missions to Moon/Mars) it will be supported by other agencies like JAXSA/NASA/ESA/SANSA/INPE for various big and small needs and it will support other agencies as well.

C2 is used as a comm and observation station. C3 will also become a comm and observation station and as long as it is operational will provide comm/telemetry support as needed.

---

ISRO landing C3 is important for India for various reasons. Landing at Lunar South Pole is more complex and very few countries will have the ability to do it outside of US/NASA.

For example, JAXA has proposed its LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration) mission where Japan will provide the launcher and the rover with India providing the Lander. And then there is C5 which even ESA wants to now participate in.

Of course more details are in Artemis accord on how and what can be shared, the point is ground is being laid for peaceful exploration of space and utilization of its resources and a recognition is dawning that no country can do it alone. Even US. And Cheen is not part of it, because it is neither reliable nor trusted.

[disha]

[quote="Amber G."

[/quote]

This is a very good image to explain a 5 year old on how orbit txfer occurs. That is throw a ball so high up that it falls down on moon.

PS: The 5 year old is now expecting the moon to be directly overhead and develop superhuman strength to throw a ball at the moon. Law of unintended consequences.

[SSSalvi]

As per ISRO tweet:

The orbit-raising maneuver (Earth-bound perigee firing) is performed successfully from ISTRAC/ISRO, Bengaluru.

The spacecraft is expected to attain an orbit of 127609 km x 236 km. The achieved orbit will be confirmed after the observations.

[SSSalvi]

Disha wrote:

That is an example of ISRO public outreach/PR not up to par, or inversely proportional to their technical prowess.

ISRO was proactively active ( even responding to comments in realtime ) during Mangalyaan mission. ( may be because one of my close associate was just transferred to take over PR at ISRO HQ then. ).

Immediately after that mission the usual lethargy persists, sadly.

[disha]

ISRO was proactively active ( even responding to comments in realtime ) during Mangalyaan mission. ( may be because one of my close associate was just transferred to take over PR at ISRO HQ then. ).

Immediately after that mission the usual lethargy persists, sadly.

SSSalvi'ji, can ISRO take outside help? Particularly from ex-ISRO employees as consultants? It will be good if they can expound on subtle tech details to DDM and/or respond on twitter.

I do remember the Mangalyaan tweets, they were memorable. When MOM was approaching Mars, the US Mars Orbiter said hello from her tweet handle and MOM's tweet response was great! Those tweets itself generated 100k plus views.

The only good thing in terms of coverage about this launch is the post launch photos in the gallery https://www.isro.gov.in/chandrayaan3_gallery.html. They are large size and excellent quality and one of them shows the rocket at MaxQ.

They could have put hi-speed cameras to record the launch!

I do wish that the PR@ISRO matures by the time we have the human spaceflight. India deserves a top class coverage.

---
PS: Dilbu'ji, if you are reading this, can you please jinx Ballav Pagla so that he is happily vacationing away & does not show up at ISRO during human spaceflight. I wish that Ballav Pagla gets a 1 crore lottery and retires, planning to write his memoirs.
---

[Amber G.]

FWIW: For Brf records - update 2023-07-25.

- As expected the after successful mission burn at the last perigee measured the orbital parameters of 242x127873km - indicating impressive (but perhaps taken for granted) performance by ISRO>



1 57320U 23206.42708333 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 03
2 57320 21.2777 10.3265 9060084 179.6961 8.2730 0.46445977 04
# 20230725.41-20230725.62, 16932 measurements, 0.004 kHz rms
HT/Credit: S. Kelly

Per ISRO:

The spacecraft is (planned before) expected to attain an orbit of 127609 km x 236 km
The achieved orbit is 127603 km x 236 km.

--

Based on projecting the orbit the TLI burn aim your cameras ...for a fairly good view of the event if you are tracking
Here is CY3 observed at ROTUZ (Panoptes-4) telescope (J. Gil Institute of Astronomy University of Zielona Góra),


Position right now as I post in this dhaga...



Another perspective of the position as I post in this dhaga


Next: The next firing, the TransLunar Injection (TLI), is planned for August 1, 2023, between 12 midnight and 1 am IST.

[Amber G.]

The next firing, the TransLunar Injection (TLI), is planned for August 1, 2023, between 12 midnight and 1 am IST.

The view from another plane --- (YZ plane to see the orbit when CY3 is captured by the moon)

[Dilbu]

PS: Dilbu'ji, if you are reading this, can you please jinx Ballav Pagla so that he is happily vacationing away & does not show up at ISRO during human spaceflight. I wish that Ballav Pagla gets a 1 crore lottery and retires, planning to write his memoirs.
---

Sorry sir it is only anti jinx and cannot be used in reverse to jinx people.

[disha]

Is it me or am I interpreting the headline in reverse:

https://www.indiatoday.in/science/chand ... 2023-07-25

Chandrayaan-3 seen flying in space using Polish telescope | Video

Why is C3 flying in space using polish telescope? I thought it uses its LAM engines to fly further and further into space. Anyway the link is above.

[SSridhar]

^ The photo was captured using a Polish Telescope.

[SSSalvi]

@ Disha
2nd image ( actually a GIF, you can click on it ) ,in Amberg post above, was captured by Telescope at Rotuz in Poland.

[putnanja]

As per ISRO tweet:

The orbit-raising maneuver (Earth-bound perigee firing) is performed successfully from ISTRAC/ISRO, Bengaluru.

The spacecraft is expected to attain an orbit of 127609 km x 236 km. The achieved orbit will be confirmed after the observations.

Today's update from ISRO on their facebook page ...

Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
The orbit achieved after the firing on July 25, 2023, is 127603 km x 236 km.

[Amber G.]

^^^^ The Orbit quoted above from the ISRO facebook page is 'different' from their twitter feed and may differ a little from other sources who measured (See below) but it is not really any significance. The thing which is really impressive is The achieved orbit is
127603 km x 236 km is almost right on dot with their plan of " expected to attain an orbit of 127609 km x 236 km"...
...There is more than enough flexibility to rightly burn the TLI burn at right time (and for right amount of duration) - recalculated to be consistent to be with precise measurements of the orbit -- so that the approach to the Moon is as planned. (This burn is relatively more important to be accurate so that it leaves enough fuel for later.

FWIW: For Brf records - update 2023-07-25.

- As expected the after successful mission burn at the last perigee measured the orbital parameters of 242x127873km - indicating impressive (but perhaps taken for granted) performance by ISRO>



1 57320U 23206.42708333 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 03
2 57320 21.2777 10.3265 9060084 179.6961 8.2730 0.46445977 04
# 20230725.41-20230725.62, 16932 measurements, 0.004 kHz rms
HT/Credit: S. Kelly

Per ISRO:

The spacecraft is (planned before) expected to attain an orbit of 127609 km x 236 km
The achieved orbit is 127603 km x 236 km.[/quote
--

Meanwhile Satish Dhawan space centre is busy - The indian rocket chartered to fly Singapore sats is ready!

Also as mentioned, if one clicks on the image I posted here from the 'polish' telescope .. one can see the Gif file and more details from the link mentioned there.

[Amber G.]

Just for fun - at the time of this post, while CY3 is almost half-way to its apogee of the last orbit around earth -- next perigee time will be time for TLI: If one is near the pole (where Vikram will land..) for that perspective... the orbits of CY3 and Earth (blue dot at the present location) will look like:


Note that earth has made almost half the 'revolution' around moon (we are looking from moon's perspective), CY3 has gone through a few orbits, and waiting for TLI etc... (Moon is at the center, Earth - blue dot - 'goes around' the moon)

[Y I Patel]

Why is CY3 orbit around the Earth an ellipse with the earth near one end of it?

[Vayutuvan]

Wow. Very nice graphic.

[sanman]

That is an example of ISRO public outreach/PR not up to par, or inversely proportional to their technical prowess.

The @twitter notoriously swapped the photos of the LVM3/C3 mission rocket with GSLVMk3 photos and tweeted a successful launch. That was pathetic, as if ppl are ignorant and dumb to not catch the difference.

And it was only after YouTuber GareebScientist pointed out that the updates on ISRO web site and tweet handles is not up to date, they started posting information.

How difficult is to create a tweet handle for C3?

The launch coverage was pathetic. During the launch sequences, the cameramen reportedly zooms on to people and it gets distracting. When ISRO launches humans, I hope it has better coverage. Or reach out to Americans to get them a very good event management & marketing company. Given that 8M tuned in worldwide for the launch.

I'm kind of over the outreach stuff now. I used to similarly clamour for it before, like everyone else.
But ever since Chandrayaan-2 was announced with great fanfare and hoopla, with lots of media coverage and outreach, only to be brought to an untimely end by abrupt lithobraking, then I've come to realize that outreach only distracts ISRO's focus and clutters its plans and objectives.
Outreach then forces ISRO into trying to cater to people's expectations, with politicians intruding in to hijack ISRO's outreach for their own narrow populist ends.

All international agencies cooperate to share the data. It is not upto US Deep Space network and not subject to US's whims and requirements! And no they are not doing ISRO any favour, since it is common to share telemetry data and use the deep space network.

And this is important. As India steps into space (human space flight program, robotic missions to Moon/Mars) it will be supported by other agencies like JAXSA/NASA/ESA/SANSA/INPE for various big and small needs and it will support other agencies as well.

C2 is used as a comm and observation station. C3 will also become a comm and observation station and as long as it is operational will provide comm/telemetry support as needed.

---

ISRO landing C3 is important for India for various reasons. Landing at Lunar South Pole is more complex and very few countries will have the ability to do it outside of US/NASA.

For example, JAXA has proposed its LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration) mission where Japan will provide the launcher and the rover with India providing the Lander. And then there is C5 which even ESA wants to now participate in.reliable nor trusted.

So LUPEX is basically Chandrayaan-4 from our perspective, which Japanese have been calling SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon)
https://global.jaxa.jp/projects/sas/slim/
https://www.eurasiantimes.com/indian-is ... n-mission/
If that mission is successful, it may help Japan to build more ambitious lunar rover vehicles.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/ ... oon-rover/

But what is Chandrayaan-5 supposed to be about? Lunar sample return?

Of course more details are in Artemis accord on how and what can be shared, the point is ground is being laid for peaceful exploration of space and utilization of its resources and a recognition is dawning that no country can do it alone. Even US. And Cheen is not part of it, because it is neither reliable nor trusted.

China is creating their own rival lunar base project, with Russia, Pakistan, UAE as the early partners (with more to come, presumably)
Ironically, UAE is also part of Artemis Accords.

[la.khan]

---
PS: Dilbu'ji, if you are reading this, can you please jinx Ballav Pagla so that he is happily vacationing away & does not show up at ISRO during human spaceflight. I wish that Ballav Pagla gets a 1 crore lottery and retires, planning to write his memoirs.
---

I hope he gets paid the said lottery sum in INR2000 notes, writes his memoirs that nobody buys/reads

[nitzter]

Why is CY3 orbit around the Earth an ellipse with the earth near one end of it?

Raising to a higher perigee (near earth point) orbit would be a waste of fuel. Idea is to keep raising the apogee until it come near the moon... Once CY3 crosses the Earth-Moon Lagrange point (at around 3.20 lakh kms), moon will capture the spacecraft will minimum insertion burn activities.

PS - I believe the cryo stage of the rocket had some more fuel to do a fully higher orbit - but there would be no real benefit to the mission.

[SSSalvi]

Why is CY3 orbit around the Earth an ellipse with the earth near one end of it?

Viewing 3D orbits in 2D makes them very startlingly deceptive.

Here are two viewes of the same instant of time ( near CH3 transfer to Moon instant ) when seen keeping in view Moon at centre in view and Earth at centre in another view. ( Pink line is Earthbound TLI orbit while green orbit is Moon bound 1st orbit after insertion. ( The actual transfer line, which is clearly seen in Amberg images is not there in these drawings )

Both are scientific , to the scale , drawings



Left images are views when Moon is taken as centre of scene and right images are when the same instant is viewed with Earth as centre.

[Amber G.]

S^3 - Thanks for the images...

-- Just for fun - Here are projection of the orbits in various planes - At the time of posting the position of CY3 and Earth and Moon are shown. From the perspective of Earth (as center) or Moon (as center):



Looking from the Moon:



Notes: X-Y plane is plane of Orbit of Moon (around Earth).
Z-Axis is towards North.. The plane is tilted about 28 degrees (at present) from Earth's equatorial plane. This tilt varies between 28.5 degrees to 18.5 degrees. (About 18.6 Years period).
This plane is about 5.1 degrees tilted from ecliptic. (Earth's orbital plane around the Sun).

X-Axis is towards vernal equinox.

For Moon's perspective:
X-Y Plane is tilted about 6.7 degrees from Moon's equator-plan.
(Moon's equator is tilted about 1.5 degrees from ecliptic - so for Moon three are no season's like Earth).

[SSSalvi]

Continuing the topic in a slightly different perspective:
28 deg Earth inclination
6.7 deg Moon incl with Earth

Now understand the significance of CH3 Launch inclination of 21.3 deg seen during Launch at 51:03 Time mark in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2ueCg9bvvQ.

Moon equator is tilted about 1.5 deg ... so only when the moon is in the North of its equator, the south pole gets sunlight lasting for 14 days.

That's is period when Lander will work and as soon as it turns dark its life will come to an end.

[Amber G.]

The Chandrayaan3 TLI trans lunar - injection is around midnight tonight.. (2:30 PM EDT)

HT: Sankara V.


Hoping to catch the spacecraft's final close approach to Earth.. for the last time

[SSSalvi]

Just compilation of Max Velocity ( near perigee ) for each orbit
Launch ( Earth Orbit insertion ) : 10.28 Km/sec
After 1st Orbit raise burn : 10.31 Km/sec
After 2nd ( Perigee Raising ) burn :10.31 Km/sec
After 3rd Orbit raise burn :10.36 Km/sec
After 4th Orbit raise burn :10.48 Km/sec
After 5th Orbit raise burn :10.7 Km/sec
After 6th Orbit raise burn ( TLI ) : 11.18 Km/sec ( This is a LONG burn, about 30 minutes ) This will optimise Moon approach geometry in addition
to Apogee raise
By the time of this post pre-loaded commands for TLI would have been enabled.
After Moon orbit insertion and reduction to 100KmX100Km orbit, landing module (Vikram + Pragyan) separation tentatively scheduled for Aug 17.
Moon Landing of probe will be attempted on August 23. If successful, India will be 4th country after US, Russia and China.

[Amber G.]

^^ I posted this before but if one wants to calculate, speed, etc (and nearly all interesting things in simple way):

For CY3 (or any other sats around earth) when it is in the vicinity of earth:

Orbit is ellipse.


if p = perigee , q = apogee (all distances are from the center of the earth)
a = semimajor axis = Arithmetic mean of p & q that is a = (p+q) /2
b = semiminor axis = Geometric mean of p & q that is b = √pq


For earth -
Velocity at *any* point in the orbit = 𝑣 ≈ 2×10⁷× √((2/𝑟)−(1/𝑎)) (√ is square root )
Time period of the orbit = T = (3.14 10⁻⁷) * (√ 𝑎³) (Depends only on a)
All measurements in SI units ( in meters, seconds etc) and the values will be correct 3-4 significant figures.

In general

𝑣²=μ(2/𝑟 −1/𝑎)
𝑇=2π √(𝑎³/μ) (


μ for 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡h = 3.986 × 10¹⁴
μ for moon = 4.905×10¹²
μ for Sun = 1.327 × 10²⁰

--
Angle between Tangent (Velocity Vector) at any point with line joining sat and ear†h) = cos(ϕ)=𝑝𝑣₀/𝑟𝑣

--- This way if you know perigee and apogee, one can calculate the speed at *any* point in the orbit (if one knows how far CY3 is from the Earth's center. Also The time period of any orbit (depends only on semi-major axis).

[Amber G.]

ISRO:
A successful perigee-firing performed at ISTRAC, ISRO has injected the spacecraft into the translunar orbit.

Next stop: the Moon

[disha]

Wishing C3 the best. It is over the top of moon now!

On Aug 17, if all is well, India will be the first country to land at South Pole of Moon.

Reaching to moon is not easy. Reaching to moon, orbiting around moon and trying to land objects on Moon in difficult areas and do some meaningful science is even tougher.

[disha]

PS - I believe the cryo stage of the rocket had some more fuel to do a fully higher orbit - but there would be no real benefit to the mission.

C2 used the cryo stage to launch at a higher apogee. The downside was that there were tracking dead zones where ISRO was blind on CH2 telemetry. Hence for CH3, the orbits and orbit raising and TLI was designed such a way that ISRO with partner agencies is always able to track CH3.

[disha]

I'm kind of over the outreach stuff now. I used to similarly clamour for it before, like everyone else.
But ever since Chandrayaan-2 was announced with great fanfare and hoopla, with lots of media coverage and outreach, only to be brought to an untimely end by abrupt lithobraking, then I've come to realize that outreach only distracts ISRO's focus and clutters its plans and objectives.
Outreach then forces ISRO into trying to cater to people's expectations, with politicians intruding in to hijack ISRO's outreach for their own narrow populist ends.

I totally understand if a PR distracts ISRO from its core mission, then doing PR for PR's sake is like Cheenis doing moon mission for H&D sake without any interest in science.

I also am not a votary of such a PR. ISRO can outsource such PR to better companies that can handle it professionally.

My point is, all ISRO newscasts during launches should have some minimum production quality. What's the point in showing bunch of people, during launch and sometimes expose them to security risk? For example in the latest launch of the S'gapore satellites, the camera was constantly focusing on two S'gpore engineers chatting and sharing a joke among themselves. And lot of time was spent on focusing on some presumably ISRO scientists/engineers in the enclosed gallery chatting and sharing some gossip. If not that, there was time spent focused on someone's backside. That was quite a "vhingmay dhrishyam"!

That's pathetic. And my criticism is there. Can they concentrate on the mission and improve the production quality of their missions? For example putting photos of a different GSLV to show successful launch of CH3. That's like preparing for a cow essay and milking it for cow and writing out for a bull.

This little things matter. While launch sequences are going on, they can do lot of different profiles. Or just let the camera be focused on the Rocket on Launch pad. They do not have to pan and zoom into peoples backsides.

So LUPEX is basically Chandrayaan-4 from our perspective, which Japanese have been calling SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon)
https://global.jaxa.jp/projects/sas/slim/
https://www.eurasiantimes.com/indian-is ... n-mission/
If that mission is successful, it may help Japan to build more ambitious lunar rover vehicles.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/ ... oon-rover/

But what is Chandrayaan-5 supposed to be about? Lunar sample return?

C5 will be the bus on which Japanese rovers will travel to do science which will be shared. We need lot of rovers out there on the South pole of moon doing all kind of prospecting and drilling and testing. Identifying and mapping minerals, water etc.

Moon mining will be the future of mankind. Moon will also be the launch pad from where humans will explore the solar system and going further and further out. And the humans will venture out *not* for science, since it is costly, humans will venture out for resources. For example, mining asteroids and processing it on Moon and bringing it back to Earth. It could be containers of Helium for fusion or metals for an industrial economy. Hence, Moon is the stepping stone for humans to reach out to the rest of Solar system. And then go ahead and explore outer solar systems.

For this to happen, we need to figure out how to sustain a human safely on Moon. Water. Food. Energy. Safe Habitat. Basically roti, kapda, makan and bijli, sadak, pani on moon.

We will have to make advances in nuclear propulsion. Nuclear energy. Even exploding some sub-kilotons to build tunnels for habitat on moon.

And that is why the importance of C3. This is the point when India figures out how to land robotically on the south pole of moon. Which far more difficult than landing on the flat plains of the moon equator. And then C4/C5/C6 becomes the bus that takes other passengers to moon. Once you have that, it is just scaling up.

China is creating their own rival lunar base project, with Russia, Pakistan, UAE as the early partners (with more to come, presumably)
Ironically, UAE is also part of Artemis Accords.

UAE, is in there to provide the money and humour Cheen. Pakistan will send its begging bowl. So what will Russia and Cheen do together? Currently Cheen's moon missions are driven by national pride and not for long term science and proper resource exploitation. I think it has already run into a wall. But only time will tell.

[sanman]

CY-3 TLI now done:

[sanman]

I totally understand if a PR distracts ISRO from its core mission, then doing PR for PR's sake is like Cheenis doing moon mission for H&D sake without any interest in science.

I also am not a votary of such a PR. ISRO can outsource such PR to better companies that can handle it professionally.

My point is, all ISRO newscasts during launches should have some minimum production quality. What's the point in showing bunch of people, during launch and sometimes expose them to security risk? For example in the latest launch of the S'gapore satellites, the camera was constantly focusing on two S'gpore engineers chatting and sharing a joke among themselves. And lot of time was spent on focusing on some presumably ISRO scientists/engineers in the enclosed gallery chatting and sharing some gossip. If not that, there was time spent focused on someone's backside. That was quite a "vhingmay dhrishyam"!

That's pathetic. And my criticism is there. Can they concentrate on the mission and improve the production quality of their missions? For example putting photos of a different GSLV to show successful launch of CH3. That's like preparing for a cow essay and milking it for cow and writing out for a bull.

This little things matter. While launch sequences are going on, they can do lot of different profiles. Or just let the camera be focused on the Rocket on Launch pad. They do not have to pan and zoom into peoples backsides.

I think that's Doordarshan's foolishness and not necessarily ISRO's.

By contrast, take a look at the overly loud & gaudy animated circus from ABP News:




When I see videos recorded by ordinary people on their phone cameras of people cheering the launch while sitting at the viewing gallery, I find those much more uplifting and inspiring.

C5 will be the bus on which Japanese rovers will travel to do science which will be shared. We need lot of rovers out there on the South pole of moon doing all kind of prospecting and drilling and testing. Identifying and mapping minerals, water etc.

Moon mining will be the future of mankind. Moon will also be the launch pad from where humans will explore the solar system and going further and further out. And the humans will venture out *not* for science, since it is costly, humans will venture out for resources. For example, mining asteroids and processing it on Moon and bringing it back to Earth. It could be containers of Helium for fusion or metals for an industrial economy. Hence, Moon is the stepping stone for humans to reach out to the rest of Solar system. And then go ahead and explore outer solar systems.

For this to happen, we need to figure out how to sustain a human safely on Moon. Water. Food. Energy. Safe Habitat. Basically roti, kapda, makan and bijli, sadak, pani on moon.

We will have to make advances in nuclear propulsion. Nuclear energy. Even exploding some sub-kilotons to build tunnels for habitat on moon.

And that is why the importance of C3. This is the point when India figures out how to land robotically on the south pole of moon. Which far more difficult than landing on the flat plains of the moon equator. And then C4/C5/C6 becomes the bus that takes other passengers to moon. Once you have that, it is just scaling up.

Mining Moon, Mars, asteroids is only suitable for sourcing materials to be used in outer space. Otherwise, such materials can be more cheaply sourced on Earth for use here. Elon Musk pointed out that if cocaine was available for free on Mars, pre-packaged and on pallets, it would still be too wildly expensive to bring to Earth.

Helium-3 exists in the lunar regolith soil in only parts-per-billion. Extracting it in useful quantities would require strip-mining the lunar surface on a vast scale. Better sources might be gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, where 3He might be harvested by dipping through the upper atmospheric layers.
In any case, nobody's achieved breakeven fusion yet even with regular hydrogen, never mind the more challenging 3He.

In my opinion, the better target for us is lunar water ice, which would be the most precious resource the Moon has to offer.

Rather than exploding bombs to make tunnels, it would be better for us to find natural underground caves & tunnels which we could convert into usable spaces, perhaps even pressurized ones. ISRO had already located a large lunar lava tube tunnel over 1 km in diameter, several years ago.

ISRO has stated one future objective being to build a large telescope on the far side of the Moon.
I was wondering about the idea of creating a lunar vault in a cold permanently-shadowed crater, to cryogenically store samples of India's biodiversity.

When Israelis sent a privately-sponsored lander to the Moon ahead of Chandrayaan-2, they had onboard inscriptions of the Jewish Talmud, along with thousands of other books, etched into an archive crystal.
https://www.archmission.org/
We Indians have no similar imagination. We could have easily included our own civilizational record on CY-2 or CY-3 landers, but such thoughts never even occurred to us.

UAE, is in there to provide the money and humour Cheen. Pakistan will send its begging bowl. So what will Russia and Cheen do together? Currently Cheen's moon missions are driven by national pride and not for long term science and proper resource exploitation. I think it has already run into a wall. But only time will tell.

UAE is much smaller than us, and yet they also sent a mission to Mars not long after us. It shows they are not small on ambition, howsoever small their size. Meanwhile I see that indian tendency is to strut a lot in advance, and then stumble on execution.

[Ashokk]

I think that's Doordarshan's foolishness and not necessarily ISRO's.

Doordarshan Doesn't Have Copyright Over Rocket Launch Broadcast: ISRO

Chennai: The Indian space agency has said it is the producer of all its rocket/satellite launch broadcast/telecast by Doordarshan (DD) and the latter does not have any copyright.

In a reply to questions raised under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Indian Space Research Organsation (ISRO) said it is the producer of the launch broadcast which is telecast by DD, social media handles and official website.

[hnair]

UAE is much smaller than us, and yet they also sent a mission to Mars not long after us. It shows they are not small on ambition, howsoever small their size. Meanwhile I see that indian tendency is to strut a lot in advance, and then stumble on execution.

Usually I ban a poster for posting claptrap like this. sanman, since this is the first time you are catching attention, a warning issued. Keep your opinions about UAE’s technology awesomeness or India’s shameful behavior off this forum. Use some personal social media profiles for such posts

[sanman]

<POOF>

Admin note: Do stick to thread topic. You are getting a longer pass than most with “getting upset” type comments.

[Amber G.]

I wish ISRO posted the last look of Earth, near this TLI, like it did with CY2..

[Amber G.]

Since I have not seen too many pictures taken from CY3, yet, let me share this
#Chandrayaan3 journey from 14th July through TLI later today and initial lunar orbits until 8th August -
25 days packed into an 80 second video
HT: Sankar V. animation, JPL, Horizon .. (Video is posted here with permission).
This video, I think has been shared in a few SM platforms.

(Please click on the picture below to see the video - AmberG.)


The perspective, including star background is mathematically correct.
(You see time-period of orbit getting longer... the camera position switches from looking towards earth to the moon in the later part of the video)

Enjoy.

[sanman]