“Chandra” means Moon and “yaan” means vehicle, so Chandrayaan simply means “Moon craft”. India’s space agency, ISRO, has sent three Chandrayaan missions, and each one taught scientists something new.
Chandrayaan-1: a big discovery (2008)
Chandrayaan-1 was launched on 22 October 2008 from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. It was India’s first trip to the Moon. The spacecraft circled the Moon and dropped a small probe that sent back readings as it fell, before crashing near the Moon’s south pole.
An instrument on board, built by NASA, spotted signs of water-bearing molecules on the Moon’s surface. Scientists around the world were thrilled, because water could one day help astronauts live and work there.
Chandrayaan-2: a brave try (2019)
Chandrayaan-2 lifted off on 22 July 2019. It carried an orbiter (a spacecraft that circles the Moon), a lander called Vikram and a rover. In September 2019, ground control lost contact with the lander during its descent, and it crash-landed. But the orbiter reached the Moon safely and kept sending back useful pictures and data.
Chandrayaan-3: touchdown! (2023)
Chandrayaan-3 was launched on 14 July 2023 on an LVM3 rocket. On 23 August 2023, its lander, also named Vikram, touched down gently near the Moon’s south pole. India became the fourth country to make a soft landing on the Moon, after the Soviet Union (now Russia), the USA and China.
Out rolled Pragyan, a six-wheeled, solar-powered rover. Its name means “wisdom” in Sanskrit. Pragyan travelled about 100 metres and its instruments found sulphur near the south pole. Before the long lunar night began, Vikram even did a little hop: it rose about 40 centimetres and landed again 30 to 40 centimetres away!
The lander is named after Vikram Sarabhai, often called the father of India’s space programme. India now celebrates 23 August as National Space Day.
What next?
In 2024, the Government of India approved Chandrayaan-4. Its plan is to land on the Moon, collect samples of Moon soil and rock, and bring them back to Earth for study.
Wonder about: If you could design a Moon rover, what would you want it to look for?