# Triumphs and Setbacks in Recent Lunar Missions
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Chapter 1: A Tale of Two Missions
This week, lunar missions have dominated the headlines for two contrasting reasons. India is rejoicing over a significant technological achievement, while Russia is grappling with a devastating failure.
Reflecting on the historic Apollo 11 landing on July 20, 1969, many people today have a vivid memory of Neil Armstrong's iconic words: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," even if the live broadcast was hard to hear. Since Apollo 17 returned on December 17, 1972, no humans have ventured back to the moon. However, the past fifty years have seen 14 uncrewed lunar missions and various orbital explorations.
Alongside these lunar endeavors, numerous robotic missions have ventured to other parts of our solar system, including Russia's Venera probes to Venus and NASA's Pioneer, Viking, and Voyager missions, as well as the New Horizons flyby of Pluto.
Technological Triumph and Catastrophic Failure
This week saw two new uncrewed lunar missions with dramatically different outcomes. One marked a technological achievement, while the other ended in disaster.
Starting with the positive news, India has become the fourth nation to successfully land on the moon. The Indian Space Research Organization's (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander made a successful descent. The term "Chandrayaan" is derived from Sanskrit, meaning "moon craft," and the mission aims to showcase ISRO's capabilities in landing and operating on the lunar surface, alongside conducting various scientific experiments.
The mission kicked off on July 14 with a rocket launch from Andhra Pradesh, India’s main space center. The propulsion module executed a series of increasingly broader orbits around Earth before entering lunar orbit on August 5. This method is efficient, consuming less energy than the Apollo missions required to escape Earth’s gravity, making Chandrayaan a cost-effective venture.
The lander, named Vikraam (Sanskrit for "brave"), detached from the propulsion module and performed a series of precise maneuvers to land safely on the moon. It carried a 26 kg (57-pound) rover called Pragyaan, which translates to "wisdom."
First Mission to Touch Down on Moon's South Pole
Chandrayaan-3 is notable for being the first mission to land on the moon's unexplored South Pole, a region believed to harbor frozen water in its craters. This discovery could be pivotal for future missions, potentially allowing the water to be converted into rocket fuel or even drinking water for astronauts.
Once Vikraam's landing was complete, the Pragyaan rover descended its ramp and began exploring the lunar surface, navigating through craters and boulders to gather data. Utilizing an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer (APXS) and a laser-induced breakdown spectroscope (LIBS), Pragyaan will analyze the chemical makeup of the lunar soil, or regolith.
Both Vikraam and Pragyaan are powered by solar batteries. With a lunar day lasting about 29 Earth days, they have approximately two weeks of sunlight to complete their missions. After sunset, they will face two weeks of darkness and extreme cold, with temperatures plummeting below -238˚C. While neither vehicle can operate in these conditions, there are plans to reactivate them once sunlight returns.
"Victory Cry of a New, Developed India"
India's success with Chandrayaan-3 was celebrated nationwide, with joyous festivities filling the streets. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the mission as "a victory cry of a new, developed India."
Now for the unfortunate news. Last Saturday, Russia's space agency Roskosmos reported that its Luna-25 spacecraft encountered "an abnormal situation" during its pre-landing orbit, resulting in a loss of contact with mission control. Consequently, "the apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon," as stated by Roskosmos. This marked the demise of Russia’s first lunar mission in 47 years.
In stark contrast to India's celebrations, Russian state television allocated only 26 seconds of coverage to Luna-25's crash, ranking it as the eighth story during the noon news. The Luna-25 mission was in direct competition with Chandrayaan-3 to reach the moon’s South Pole, but instead of enhancing Russia's global image, it became a national embarrassment.
Although these missions did not involve human crews, the narrative of space exploration evokes the archetype of the hero's journey. We often view the rovers exploring distant worlds as companions, and we experience a sense of loss when we learn of their failures.
And Another Thing…
These lunar missions contribute to a broader narrative about humanity's relationship with the universe. Confirming the presence of water on the moon and understanding its chemical properties will inform our quest for life beyond Earth.
In the coming weeks, Vikraam will carry out experiments while Pragyaan undertakes its designated tasks, sending data back to India before the onset of lunar night. After two weeks, when the sun rises again, there are hopes for a successful reactivation of both vehicles.
President Vladimir Putin of Russia extended his congratulations to India for its "impressive progress in science and technology." Prime Minister Modi concluded by stating, "This success belongs to all of humanity and will pave the way for future missions by other nations."
The pursuit of knowledge is unending, and we must continue to embrace it.
Learn more:
- Chandrayaan-3 is on its journey to the moon.
- Russian Moon lander crash — what happened and what's next?
- DART Mission Follow-Up: A Smash Hit!
- Artemis I Returns Home After Successful Mission
- Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Takes Flight
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