Chandrayaan Mission


  1. Chandrayaan-1 Launch Date – 22 October 2008
    India’s first lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, was launched on 22 October 2008 by ISRO. It marked India’s entry into deep space exploration and laid the foundation for future lunar missions.



  1. Launch Site of Chandrayaan-1 – Sriharikota
    Chandrayaan-1 was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. This center is India’s main spaceport, used for launching all major ISRO missions including PSLV and GSLV rockets.



  1. Launched by – ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation)
    ISRO designed, built, and launched Chandrayaan-1 to study the Moon’s surface. It was India’s first successful interplanetary mission, showing India’s technological strength in space research and innovation.



  1. Major Discovery – Water Molecules on the Moon
    Chandrayaan-1 made a historic discovery by detecting water molecules on the lunar surface. This breakthrough changed scientific understanding of the Moon’s geology and its potential for future exploration.



  1. Chandrayaan-2 Launch Date – 22 July 2019
    Launched on 22 July 2019, Chandrayaan-2 aimed to further study the Moon’s south pole region. It included an orbiter, lander “Vikram,” and rover “Pragyan” for surface analysis.



  1. Name of Chandrayaan-2 Lander – Vikram
    The lander “Vikram” was named after Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India’s space program. It was designed to make a soft landing near the Moon’s south pole.



  1. Name of Chandrayaan-2 Rover – Pragyan
    The rover “Pragyan,” meaning “wisdom” in Sanskrit, was meant to explore the Moon’s surface and analyze soil composition. Although Vikram crashed, the orbiter continues sending valuable data.



  1. Chandrayaan-3 Successful Landing – 23 August 2023
    On 23 August 2023, India made history as Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander successfully touched down on the Moon, making India the first country to reach the lunar south pole region.



  1. Landing Site of Chandrayaan-3 – Lunar South Pole
    Chandrayaan-3 landed near the Moon’s south pole, an unexplored area rich in potential water ice deposits, crucial for future lunar missions and possible human settlement studies.



  1. Name of Chandrayaan-3 Rover – Pragyan
    The rover “Pragyan” of Chandrayaan-3 conducted experiments on the Moon’s surface, including studying soil composition, temperature variations, and detecting elements like sulfur and oxygen.



  1. Name of Chandrayaan-3 Lander – Vikram
    The lander “Vikram” in Chandrayaan-3 successfully executed a soft landing, deploying the Pragyan rover safely. It carried multiple scientific payloads for studying seismic activity and lunar temperature.



  1. Objective of Chandrayaan Missions – Study Moon’s Surface and Composition
    The Chandrayaan missions aim to explore the Moon’s surface, detect minerals, water, and study its geology. They also strengthen India’s role in global lunar research and space technology.