The Chandrayaan-3 is aimed at the lunar south pole, a region with water ice, or frozen water, that could be a source of oxygen, fuel and water for future moon missions or a more permanent moon colony.
If it lands successfully, the Chandrayaan-3 is expected to remain functional for two weeks, running a series of experiments including a spectrometer analysis of the mineral composition of the lunar surface.
Edit: This is going to be the site of US’ Artemis-III mission as well. So NASA would be very keen to know about the findings out of this rover and lander.
ISRO has set the following mission objectives for the Chandrayaan-3 mission:
Getting a lander to land safely and softly on the surface of the Moon. Observing and demonstrating the rover’s loitering capabilities on the Moon. In-site observation and conducting experiments on the materials available on the lunar surface to better understand composition of the Moon.[17]
Thanks, it seems more of a technological proof of concept mission, rather than a purely scientific mission. Hopefully this leads to more space exploration capabilities in the international community.
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