Chandrayaan-3 returns: Scientists stunned by development 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After completing its mission, the Chandrayaan-3 propulsion module, which had been drifting aimlessly in space, has unexpectedly returned to the Moon’s orbit on its own. Scientists are stunned by this development, as no space agency, including NASA, has ever witnessed something like this.

After two years, the module re-entered ISRO’s telemetry range and began sending back crucial data. However, it can no longer be controlled from Earth because it has no fuel left. It now functions only on solar power.

Scientists say this incident has offered new lessons about sudden changes in space and how gravitational forces from celestial bodies can alter spacecraft trajectories. ISRO said it is monitoring the module’s continued movement.

Surprising event on Nov 4
On November 4, without any human intervention, the Chandrayaan-3 module was pulled into the Moon’s gravity and began moving closer to it. It reached as close as 3,740 km from the lunar surface and entered an orbit that took it between 4.09 lakh km and 7.29 lakh km from Earth. How this happened remains unclear. The module even sent back images of the Moon’s surface.

On November 11, it again came as close as 4,537 km to the Moon. A similar approach happened on November 14, when it moved within 4,500 km. Scientists say these observations will be crucial for future lunar missions.

Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14, 2023. In August, the spacecraft reached 150 km above the Moon and successfully deployed the lander and rover. Both made a soft landing near the lunar south pole. The rover then moved across the surface. India named the landing site “Shiv Shakti Point.” The tricolour and Ashoka Chakra engraved on the lander will remain on the Moon’s south pole forever.

After this historic achievement, the propulsion module drifted away from the Moon’s orbit by late October. It began moving through a region of space between 1 lakh km and 3 lakh km from Earth, out of control. The Moon itself is about 4 lakh km from Earth, so the module kept getting alternately caught in the gravitational fields of both Earth and the Moon.

The only link ISRO had with the module during this time was the communication signals it continued to send.