Here is ISRO's Plan-B for safe landing of Chandrayaan-3's 'Vikram in case of engine, sensors fail

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chief, S Somanath, has unveiled an ingenious plan to ensure the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander, even if its sensors or engines malfunction. The breakthrough was revealed during a talk titled 'Chandrayaan-3: Bharat's Pride Space Mission', organized by the non-profit entity Disha Bharat.

Somanath expounded that Vikram's engineering facilitates a soft lunar touchdown despite the failure of all sensors and even two engines. The ISRO chairman emphasized the precision of design that enables the lander to overcome such adversities, attributing its robustness to well-engineered architecture fortified with advanced algorithms.

The imminent lunar landing is slated for August 23, marking a pivotal leap in India's ambitious lunar mission. Chandrayaan-3 embarked on its celestial voyage on July 14, flawlessly entering lunar orbit by August 5. The meticulous execution of three de-orbiting maneuvers will progressively align the spacecraft's trajectory with the lunar surface. These intricately planned maneuvers, scheduled for August 9, 14, and 16, aim to position the spacecraft at a targeted altitude of 100km x 100km above the lunar terrain.


A pivotal moment within this process involves transitioning the "Vikram" lander from a horizontal to a vertical orientation, a challenge that ISRO has ingeniously addressed. The experience gleaned from the Chandrayaan-2 mission, where this aspect posed difficulties, has been leveraged to ensure a seamless maneuver, avoiding previous stumbles.

Somanath emphasized that the lander's vertical alignment for a secure lunar touchdown is paramount. He elaborated on the strategic sequence that includes a "deboost" operation to reduce the lander's velocity, followed by the separation of the lander propulsion module. This strategic dance of maneuvers is poised to pave the path for the final descent and a safe landing on the lunar surface.

ISRO's meticulous approach extends to contingency plans, where even if all sensors fail, the propulsion system's performance is pivotal. Somanath's revelation resonates as a testament to India's technological prowess and meticulous foresight.