ESA ground facilities support ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission

Written by Copernical Team Friday, 14 July 2023 05:14

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Paris (ESA) Jul 14, 2023

The European Space Agency (ESA) is set to support the Chandrayaan-3 mission, launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). This Moon mission features a lunar lander and a rover, tasked to perform scientific operations on the lunar surface for a period of 14 days. To ensure the mission's success, ground stations worldwide, coordinated by ESA and NASA, are se

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ESA ground facilities support ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission
by Staff Wr
Paris (ESA) Jul 14, 2023

The European Space Agency (ESA) is set to support the Chandrayaan-3 mission, launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). This Moon mission features a lunar lander and a rover, tasked to perform scientific operations on the lunar surface for a period of 14 days. To ensure the mission's success, ground stations worldwide, coordinated by ESA and NASA, are set to provide support alongside ISRO's deep space communication antenna.

Chandrayaan-3, the most recent addition to ISRO's Chandrayaan (which translates to 'Moon craft') series of lunar missions, is expected to test and validate novel technologies needed for interplanetary space exploration. It's designed to execute India's maiden soft landing on a celestial body.

The spacecraft, composed of a propulsion module, lander module, and rover, is scheduled for launch at 14:35 IST (11:05 CEST) on July 14 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota Range, India. Post-launch, these modules will be operated from ISRO's Spacecraft Control Center in Bangalore, India.

The propulsion module's primary task is to transport the lander into lunar orbit. After achieving this, the module will detach itself from the lander around August 23 and remain in lunar orbit, using its scientific payload to study Earth. The lander module, on the other hand, will be equipped with several scientific instruments to measure surface temperature, seismic activity at the landing site, and carry a laser retroreflector supplied by NASA, among other functionalities.

The rover will investigate the composition of nearby lunar surface material during the surface operations, which will continue for an estimated 14 days.

Maintaining robust communication lines with spacecraft on deep space missions is essential, and this is where ground stations play a crucial role. They enable operators to stay connected to spacecraft, ensuring data transmission, monitoring safety, and verifying locations.

ISRO possesses a 32-meter deep space tracking station in India, which allows them to track, command, and receive telemetry and scientific data from distant spacecraft. However, the spacecraft occasionally venture outside the field of view of ISRO's antenna.

To overcome this challenge and avoid the hefty costs associated with constructing new antennas and control stations worldwide, ISRO, like several space agencies and commercial firms, will rely on the ground stations of partner organizations. This strategy not only results in cost savings but also encourages international cooperation in spaceflight endeavors.

ESA, through its global 'Estrack' network of deep space stations, can assist partners with tracking, commanding, and receiving data from spacecraft almost anywhere in the Solar System via its ESOC mission control center in Darmstadt, Germany.

ESA's 15m antenna in Kourou, French Guiana, will monitor Chandrayaan-3 during the days post-launch to ensure its survival and good health as it commences its journey to the Moon. Additionally, a 32-meter antenna operated by Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd in the UK will provide support to the propulsion and lander modules of Chandrayaan-3. Most importantly, it will aid the lander throughout lunar surface operations, ensuring the safe delivery of scientific data acquired by the rover back to ISRO in India.

Telemetry and data returned by Chandrayaan-3, received via Kourou and Goonhilly, will be routed to ESOC before being sent to ISRO for analysis. These two European stations, along with NASA's Deep Space Network and ISRO's own facilities, will form a global network to maintain continuous contact with the lunar craft.

Moreover, Chandrayaan-3 isn't the only ISRO mission receiving support from ESA this summer. ISRO's Aditya-L1 solar observatory, slated for launch in late August, will also be supported by ESA, with tracking activities from Kourou and Goonhilly. Furthermore, ESA's three 35-meter deep space antennas, situated in New Norcia, Australia, Malargue, Argentina, and Cebreros, Spain, will also be involved.

These stations communicate daily with ESA's growing fleet of Solar System explorers and space observatories, and also support missions run by ESA's institutional and commercial partners.

In the case of Aditya-L1, ESA flight dynamics experts have also contributed, aiding in the validation of the 'orbit determination' software, a vital tool for precisely calculating spacecraft location. This software is critical for communication and calibration of scientific instruments.

The ESA is currently in discussions regarding potential ground station support for India's inaugural human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan.