How NASA And European Space Agency Are Helping India's Moon Mission?

Since the initiation of the Chandrayaan-3 mission on July 14, the ground stations of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) have been providing assistance to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in monitoring the spacecraft's condition.

To contextualize, the Vikram lander, the propulsion module of Chandrayaan 3, and the Chandrayaan 2 orbiter are currently situated in the moon's orbit, approximately 384,000 kilometers from Earth. As the Earth and the Moon rotate on their axes and orbit around the Sun, ground-based antennas on Earth are meticulously tracking the gradual descent of the lander. One of India's largest 32-meter dish antennas, located in Byalalu near Bengaluru, is actively tracking Chandrayaan-3.

But there are times when the lander enters a shadow region where tracking becomes unfeasible from the Indian antenna's perspective. This is where the deep space networks of NASA and ESA come into play. However, it's important to note that this assistance is not without cost. India is incurring expenses based on the number of antennas employed and the duration of usage.

Consequently, when the lander is out of range of our antenna, NASA or ESA interfaces with the lander and relays pertinent information to the mission operations team stationed in Bengaluru.

It is to be noted that while these networks are aiding ISRO, they do not dictate the actions or communications directed to the lander. The ultimate control rests with ISRO's mission operations team in Bengaluru, with the external networks functioning solely as communication conduits during periods when ISRO's network cannot access the lander.

Chandrayaan-3's anticipated lunar landing is slated for soft landing around 6 pm. Nationwide mass viewing events have been organised, and well-wishes and prayers are being extended for the mission's triumph. Suspense surrounding the outcome is particularly heightened in light of Russia's recent lunar mission, which concluded with a crash of its Luna-25 spacecraft on Sunday.