What is the main task of India’s third moon mission which could not be achieved in its earlier mission? List the countries that have achieved this task. Introduce the subsystems in the spacecraft launched and explain the role of the ‘Virtual Launch Control Centre’ at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre which contributed to the successful launch from Sriharikota.
Approach · directive: “what / list / introduce / explain”
What it asks · Name the task Chandrayaan-3 was set (a safe soft landing on the Moon), list the countries that had achieved it, describe the spacecraft's modules and explain the Virtual Launch Control Centre's role.
It asks 4 things — answer each
- State the main task of Chandrayaan-3 that the earlier mission could not achieve
- List the countries that have achieved a soft landing on the Moon
- Introduce the subsystems of the spacecraft launched: modules, lander systems and payloads
- Explain the role of the Virtual Launch Control Centre at VSSC in the launch from Sriharikota
Open with · On 23 August 2023 Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander touched down near the lunar south pole, the step that failed in 2019; ISRO defined the mission as a follow-on to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving.
Cover
- Main task: an end-to-end safe soft landing with roving and in-situ experiments, the step that failed in 2019; site named Shiv Shakti Point, 23 August declared National Space Day.
- Countries: the Soviet Union (Luna 9, first soft landing, 1966), the United States and China; India fourth on 23 August 2023 and first near the south pole.
- Modules: propulsion module 2,148 kg (SHAPE), Vikram lander 1,752 kg including the 26 kg Pragyan rover; total 3,900 kg; lander payloads ChaSTE, ILSA, RAMBHA-LP; rover APXS, LIBS.
- Lander subsystems: throttleable propulsion, navigation, guidance and control, hazard detection and avoidance sensors, landing legs, power and communication, upgraded after Chandrayaan-2.
- Launch: LVM3-M4 from Sriharikota on 14 July 2023 into Earth orbit; propulsion module carried the lander to a 100 km lunar orbit.
- Virtual Launch Control Centre: a remote VSSC facility linked to the launch complex, showing real-time vehicle data so designers monitor health and advise the launch team.
- Ahead: an Indian on the Moon by 2040.
Close with · Having proved indigenous landing technology, India now aims to put an Indian on the Moon by 2040; Chandrayaan-3's south-polar data is the first instalment of that journey.
Add value (verified)
- ISRO's mission page dates the soft landing to 23 August 2023 and reports first results within days from the lander payloads (ILSA, RAMBHA-LP, ChaSTE) and the rover payloads (LIBS, APXS).ISRO: Chandrayaan-3 mission updates ↗“Chandrayaan-3 has successfully soft-landed on the moon. Congratulations, India!”
- ISRO mission page: Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving; the propulsion module carries the lander and rover to a 100 km lunar orbit.ISRO: Chandrayaan-3 Details (mission objective and configuration) ↗“Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface. It consists of Lander and Rover configuration.”
- ISRO mission specifications: propulsion module 2,148 kg; lander module 1,752 kg including the 26 kg rover; total 3,900 kg.ISRO: Chandrayaan-3 Details, mission specifications (mass) ↗“Mass Propulsion Module: 2148 kg Lander Module: 1752 kg including Rover of 26 kg Total: 3900 kg”
- NASA: Luna 9 (USSR) achieved the first soft landing in 1966; as of January 2024 four nations had landed on the Moon: the USSR, the United States, India and China.NASA Science: Moon exploration (history) ↗“In 1966, Luna 9 achieved the first soft landing and in 1969, the U.S.'s Apollo 11 achieved the first human landing. In the decades since, many nations have contributed to lunar orbiters and landers. As of January 2024, four nations have successfully landed on the Moon (USSR, United States, India, China).”
- Cabinet resolution (August 2023): welcomed 23 August as National Space Day and the naming of Chandrayaan-3's landing spot as ShivShakti Point; India is the first country to land near the Moon's south pole.PIB: Cabinet Resolution on celebrating the historic success of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission ↗“The Cabinet welcomes the naming of two points on the moon as Tiranga Point (footprint of Chandrayaan-2) and ShivShakti Point (Chandrayaan-3’s landing spot).”
- Department of Space (PIB, August 2024, first National Space Day): an Indian will land on the Moon in 2040, announced the Union Minister of State for Space.PIB: An Indian will land on the surface of Moon, fifteen years from now, in the year 2040, announces Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh (National Space Day 2024) ↗“An Indian will land on the surface of Moon, fifteen years from now, in the year 2040, announces Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh India Marks First-Ever National Space Day, Celebrating Chandrayaan-3’s Historic Landing”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2023, GS Paper III — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 3 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 354words · Minimalist IAS
On 23 August 2023 Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander touched down near the lunar south pole, the step that had failed in 2019. ISRO defined the mission as a follow-on to Chandrayaan-2 'to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface'.
The main task the earlier mission could not achieve
- Safe, soft landing: Chandrayaan-2 reached lunar orbit in 2019, but its lander could not complete the final descent; Chandrayaan-3 had to land softly, deploy a rover and run in-situ experiments.
- Recognition: the Cabinet named the landing site Shiv Shakti Point and declared 23 August National Space Day.
Countries that have achieved this task
- Three before India: the Soviet Union (Luna 9 made the first soft landing in 1966), the United States and China; India became the fourth nation, and the first to land near the Moon's south pole.
Subsystems in the spacecraft launched
| Module | Role | Payloads |
|---|---|---|
| Propulsion module, 2,148 kg | Carries the lander to a 100 km lunar orbit | SHAPE, observes Earth from lunar orbit |
| Vikram lander, 1,752 kg with rover | Soft landing and surface science | ChaSTE, ILSA, RAMBHA-LP |
| Pragyan rover, 26 kg | Roves and analyses soil and rock | APXS, LIBS |
- Lander systems: throttleable engines, navigation, guidance and control, hazard detection and avoidance sensors, stronger landing legs, power and communication, all upgraded after 2019; total mass 3,900 kg.
- Launch: LVM3-M4 lifted off from Sriharikota on 14 July 2023 and placed the stack in Earth orbit for its onward journey.
- LVM3-M4 lift-off, 14 July 2023
- Earth orbit
- 100 km lunar orbit
- powered descent
- soft landing, 23 August 2023
Role of the Virtual Launch Control Centre at VSSC
- Remote eyes on the rocket: a remote support facility at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, linked to the Sriharikota launch complex so that experts could follow launch-vehicle data.
- Designers in the loop: in general terms, the engineers who built the systems could watch their health from there and advise the launch team, without crowding the launch control room.
Having proved indigenous landing technology, India now aims to put an Indian on the Moon by 2040; Chandrayaan-3's south-polar data is the first instalment of that journey.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 3 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
