Chandrayaan 2 Mission: The Unsuccessful Moon Landing and Future Prospects

Four years ago, ISRO embarked on an ambitious mission with the Chandrayaan 2 mission, aiming to achieve a soft landing on the Moon surface. Unfortunately, the mission met an unfortunate end when the Vikram lander crashed into the lunar surface, causing speculation and concern within the international space community. This article delves into the reasons behind the failure, the aftermath, and the path forward for ISRO.

The Unsuccessful Landing: Reasons and Challenges

Examining the reasons behind the unsuccessful landing, it's evident that the primary issue revolved around the intricate engineering challenges that accompany a lunar landing. Unlike Earth, the Moon lacks an atmosphere, which significantly complicates the process of landing a spacecraft. Traditionally, the use of parachutes would have alleviated this problem on Earth, but their inefficacy in a vacuum environment made it an unviable option for the Chandrayaan 2 mission.

Powered by a series of thrusters, the Vikram lander separated from the propulsion module at a height of 100 kilometers above the lunar surface. Engineered to decelerate the lander to a safe speed of 2 km/s, the braking system faced a series of anomalies that led to the crash landing. These anomalies, likely related to the braking system performance, resulted in a hard landing, causing extensive damage to the internal components, including vital electronic circuits required for communication.

What Happened Next

The failure of the Vikram lander to communicate with the orbiter was a direct consequence of the hard landing. ISRO lost contact with the lander when it was approximately 2.1 kilometers away from achieving a soft landing. While initial data suggested that the Vikram lander had landed in a region south of the Moon's pole, the lack of communication prevented any confirmation of its state.

Since then, the focus has shifted to the sustainability and endurance of the Chandrayaan 2's orbiter, which continues to orbit the Moon. Contemplating future missions, such as Chandrayaan 3, becomes essential to achieve the mission's primary goals. The absence of communication has signified the end of attempts to activate the Vikram lander, but it has not halted the progress of the overall mission.

Lessons and Future Endeavors

The failure of the Vikram lander has prompted ISRO to reflect deeply on its landing strategy. A significant oversight was the minimal testing of the landing process on earthbound conditions. Specifically, the absence of a testing ground comparable to the lunar surface, such as modeling potholes in Bangalore, has been highlighted as a critical mistake. This oversight points to a flaw in the mission's preparation and underscores the importance of thorough testing before attempting such a complex mission.

ISRO's next steps will be to learn from the Chandrayaan 2 mission's failures and ensure that future attempts, such as Chandrayaan 3, will be more robust and well-prepared. The spacecraft's design has been isSuccessively proven, having withstood harsh conditions like extreme temperature fluctuations of -173°C in the lunar night. ISRO plans to use these lessons to refine and improve the landing procedures for future missions.

In conclusion, the Chandrayaan 2 mission serves as a poignant reminder of the complex and challenging nature of lunar exploration. While the Vikram lander's failure may have caused disappointment, it has provided valuable insights that will inform future missions. ISRO's resilience and determination to reach closer to the lunar surface in a single attempt, unmatched by other nations, are qualities that promise future successes in the realm of space exploration.

Keywords: Chandrayaan 2, Moon Landing, Vikram Lander