UPSC Mains 2023 GS3 Q16: model answer
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.
What the question wants
Chandrayaan-3's soft landing goal, countries that soft-landed, spacecraft modules, and the VLCC.
How to structure it
Intro: Chandrayaan-3 launched 14 July 2023 on LVM3-M4; landed 23 August 2023 near the south pole. Body: (1) Main task: safe soft landing and rover mobility, which Chandrayaan-2's Vikram failed in 2019; (2) Countries: USSR, USA, China, India (first near south pole); (3) Subsystems: Propulsion Module (SHAPE payload), Lander Vikram (ChaSTE, ILSA, RAMBHA-LP, LRA), Rover Pragyan (APXS, LIBS); (4) VLCC at VSSC: remote monitoring and decision support during launch, real-time data. Conclusion: National Space Day on 23 August.
- 1(1) Main task: safe soft landing and rover mobility, which Chandrayaan-2's Vikram failed in 2019
- 2(2) Countries: USSR, USA, China, India (first near south pole)
- 3(3) Subsystems: Propulsion Module (SHAPE payload), Lander Vikram (ChaSTE, ILSA, RAMBHA-LP, LRA), Rover Pragyan (APXS, LIBS)
- 4(4) VLCC at VSSC: remote monitoring and decision support during launch, real-time data
Model answer
Chandrayaan-3 was launched on 14 July 2023 by LVM3-M4 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. Its lander touched down near the lunar south pole on 23 August 2023, now marked as National Space Day.
| Module | Role | Payloads |
|---|---|---|
| Propulsion Module | Carried lander to 100 km lunar orbit | SHAPE |
| Lander Vikram | Soft landing near south pole | ChaSTE, ILSA, RAMBHA-LP, LRA |
| Rover Pragyan | Moves and analyses soil | APXS, LIBS |
Main task
A safe soft landing on the Moon and roving on its surface. Chandrayaan-2's lander Vikram crashed in September 2019 during the final descent, though its orbiter still works.
Countries that have soft-landed on the Moon
- The former USSR (Luna 9, 1966).
- The United States (Surveyor 1, 1966; Apollo).
- China (Chang'e 3, 2013; Chang'e 4 on the far side, 2019).
- India (2023), the first near the south pole.
Spacecraft subsystems
- Propulsion Module: carried the lander to a 100 km lunar orbit; carries SHAPE, which studies Earth's spectra to help search for habitable exoplanets.
- Lander (Vikram): stronger legs, more sensors and a bigger landing zone than before. Payloads: ChaSTE (soil temperature), ILSA (moonquakes), RAMBHA-LP (plasma) and NASA's Laser Retroreflector Array.
- Rover (Pragyan): six-wheeled; APXS and LIBS analyse soil, and LIBS confirmed sulphur near the south pole.
Role of the Virtual Launch Control Centre
- Located at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, it gives launch vehicle experts real-time access to telemetry and data from the Sriharikota launch pad.
- Specialists who designed the vehicle can monitor systems and support decisions during countdown and flight without being at the launch site.
- This brought faster checks and wider expert input to a flawless launch.
The mission is a base for future missions like Chandrayaan-4.
Keywords, cases and data to drop in
soft landing Vikram lander Pragyan LVM3 VLCC 23 August
Where most answers lose marks
- Missing one of the four parts.
- Wrong list of countries.
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Question text as printed in the official UPSC question paper: https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/QP-CSM-23-GENERAL-STUDIES-PAPER-III-180923.pdf The model answer is original Battle IAS work; use it to learn structure, not to memorise.