For the first time, NASA orbiter ‘pings’ Chandrayaan-3 lander on the Moon: Why it’s important

Meanwhile, ISRO on Friday said an instrument on the Chandrayaan-3 lander has started acting as a location marker near the moon’s south pole. Vikram module of Chandrayaan-3 landed on the Moon on August 23, 2023.

What could be the meaning of this experiment?

According to NASA, this successful experiment “opens the door to a new style of precision target detection on the lunar surface”.

Tracking the location of Earth-orbiting satellites from the ground is typically done using a laser pulse directed toward the object and measuring the time it takes for the light to return, the US space agency explained.

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“But using the technique in reverse – by sending a laser pulse from a moving spacecraft to a stationary spacecraft to determine its precise location – has many applications on the Moon,” the scientists said.

Scientist Xiaoli Sun said, “We have shown that we can detect our retroreflectors on the surface from the Moon’s orbit… The next step is to improve the technology so that it can become routine for missions that want to use these retroreflectors.” Want the future.”

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Meanwhile, ISRO said, “NASA’s LRA on Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander will continue to serve as a long-term geodetic station and a location marker on the lunar surface, benefiting current and future lunar missions.”

These measurements, in addition to aiding accurate determination of the spacecraft’s orbital position, will help refine the lunar geodetic frame. This will likely yield “insights into the moon’s dynamics, internal structure and gravitational anomalies”, ISRO said.

When and how was the experiment conducted?

The experiment was conducted on December 12, 2023 at 1:30 pm Indian Standard Time (3 pm EST). According to a NASA press release, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) had its laser altimeter instrument pointed at Vikram.

The lander was 62 miles or 100 kilometers away from LRO when LRO transmitted the laser pulse toward it. The location was near Manzinus Crater in the south pole region of the Moon.

“After the orbiter (LRO) registered the light returned from a small NASA retroreflector in Vikram, NASA scientists knew that their technique had finally worked,” NASA said.

How can a retroreflector help?

The NASA retroreflector on ISRO’s Vikram lander is “only 2 inches, or 5 centimeters wide”. This is called a laser retroreflector array. Scientists said that this device is simple and durable. “It requires neither electricity nor maintenance, and can last for decades”, he said, adding that its configuration allows the retroreflector to reflect light coming from any direction back to its source. gives.

NASA said the retroreflector could be used for a number of applications in science and exploration. It says, “By reflecting light back to Earth, the suitcase-sized retroreflector revealed that the Moon is moving away from our planet at a rate of 1.5 inches (3.8 centimeters) per year.”

The space agency said they are used as precision markers on the International Space Station (ISS) to help dock cargo-delivery spacecraft autonomously.

It adds, “In the future, they could guide Artemis astronauts to the surface in darkness, or mark the locations of spacecraft already on the surface, allowing astronauts or unmanned spacecraft to locate them next to them.” “Will help in getting down.”

But, what is the problem?

According to NASA, the biggest obstacle to their immediate adoption is that LRO’s altimeter is the only laser instrument currently orbiting the Moon. The instrument was not designed to indicate a target; Since 2009, the altimeter – called Lola – has been responsible for mapping the Moon’s topography in preparation for missions to the surface.

“We want Lola to point to this Oreo-sized target and hit it every time, which is hard,” Daniel Cremons, a NASA Goddard scientist working with Sun, said in the press release. Tries to contact Vikram’s retroreflector.

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Published: Jan 19, 2024, 03:57 PM IST