INDIA: The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which has plans to investigate the Moon’s dark side, are negotiating the launch of a lander and rover combo.
ISRO is set to team up with JAXA
Anil Bhardwaj, Director of the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad, disclosed the details at the Akash Tattva conference in Dehradun. According to Bhardwaj, conversations with JAXA on sending a lunar rover to study the Moon’s permanent shadow zone are ongoing.
According to the initial plan, an ISRO-built lunar lander and rover will be launched into orbit by a Japanese rocket with a planned landing spot not far from the Moon’s south pole.
A mission to the Moon is currently being prepared for launch by the Indian space agency. The Chandrayaan-3 mission, which is scheduled to launch in 2023, will build on the success of the Chandrayaan-2 mission.
ISRO plans to investigate the Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSR) on the Moon, which scientists consider to be time capsules containing a wealth of information. ISRO intends to send another expedition to Mars now that the Mangalyaan project has concluded, but Venus remains the organisation’s top priority.
Venus, known as the enigmatic twin of Earth, is a great case study to comprehend how planetary systems are impacted by climate change. A 400-kg class satellite carrying the payload will be positioned in orbit around the Sun to continuously view the star from a location known as the Lagrange Point L-1.
According to Bhardwaj, who added that ISRO is also preparing to launch the Aditya L-1 mission. The orbit would be 1.5 million kilometres from Earth and would research coronal heating, solar wind acceleration, the start of coronal mass ejections, flares, and near-Earth space weather.
Bhardwaj predicted that the successes of the Aditya L-1 and Chandrayaan-3 will come as quickly as the following year after JAXA’s missions to Venus and the Moon.
Since scientists would use the lunar rover once more for the mission that JAXA is designing, the lunar rover’s performance on Chandrayaan-3 seems vital.
Also Read: ISRO’s RISAT-2 Satellite Re-enters Earth’s Atmosphere
