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India’s third mission to the Moon to be launched in August 2023
BY S VENKAT NARAYAN
Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, October 21: India’s third mission to the Moon Chandrayaan-3 is likely to be be launched in August 2023, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S. Somnath said here on Thursday.He explained that, while mission parameters will remain the same, there are several changes being made to the design. “The design and engineering are significantly different [compared to Chandrayaan-2] to make it more robust and avoid the problems from last time,” he said on the sidelines of a conference.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission is a follow-up of Chandrayaan-2 of July 2019, which aimed to land a rover on the lunar South Pole. It was sent aboard the country’s most powerful geosynchronous launch vehicle, the GSLV-Mk 3. However, lander Vikram, instead of a controlled landing, ended up crash-landing on September 7, 2019, and prevented rover Pragyaan from successfully travelling on the surface of the moon.Had the mission been successful, it would have been the first time a country landed its rover on the moon in its maiden attempt.
The legs that will hold the body of the craft on landing have been made more rugged, there are improved sensors and algorithms to identify sites where the lander can successfully descend safely, and better instrumentation that will provide more resilient back-up systems, said Dr. Somnath.On Sunday, October 23, ISRO is expected to launch 36 satellites aboard its heaviest rocket LVM3 — earlier known as the GSLV Mk3. These satellites belong to British start-up OneWeb and will launch from the spaceport in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota.Telecom major Airtel has a significant stake in OneWeb. A successful mission will greatly improve ISRO’s prospects in the commercial space launch sector where it can use its heaviest rockets to launch heavy payloads.
“There is also a second set of satellites [of OneWeb] that will be launched in February next year,” he added.
Preparations for India’s maiden manned mission into space or Gaganyaan are progressing with an expected launch date of December 2024. “They are going on slow and steady. It requires several critical steps to be crossed. There will be two unmanned missions and four abort missions before we decide on sending the manned mission. Of course, all of them have to be fully successful,” Dr Somnath said.Abort missions refer to test flights to test whether the rocket can carry a module into space and return safely.
Pope Leo XIV appealed for “no more war” in a message to world powers during his first Sunday address at the Vatican.
Reflecting on current conflicts, the newly selected pontiff called for a “lasting peace” in the war in Ukraine, a ceasefire in Gaza, and welcomed Saturday’s agreement to end recent hostilities between India and Pakistan.
He said he was “deeply hurt” by events in Gaza, expressed hope for a “lasting accord” between India and Pakistan, and wished for a “authentic, true and lasting peace” in Ukraine.
The Pope also recited the Regina Caeli prayer, in honour of the Virgin Mary, to the crowd in St Peter’s Square.
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May this Vesak celebration be a blessed one filled with kindness and compassion towards all living beings – PM
In her Vesak day message, Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya wished that this Vesak celebration be a blessed one filled with kindness and compassion towards all living beings
The full text of the prime ministers vesak day message:
“It is an honor to extend my Vesak day message to all citizens of the nation during this sacred period in which Buddhist community across Sri Lanka come together to pay homage to the Lord Buddha, upholding both material and spiritual offerings and commemorating the threefold sacred events of the Lord Buddha’s life.
Since ancient times, the lives of the Sri Lankan people have been deeply rooted by the teaching of the Lord Buddha and this is a greater inheritance we have received through the Dhamma. In our country, where people of diverse ethnicities and religions coexist in harmony, the collective celebration of a major religious festival such as Vesak stands as a powerful testament to that unity.
This year Vesak day celebration marks the first to be celebrated under the current government, which was established with the vision of “A Prosperous Country, a Beautiful Life.” I believe that this Vesak season is a particularly a time to heal the hearts and minds of humanity, especially as our nation embarks on a path of meaningful transformation. Through this message, I take this opportunity to invite all of citizens to unite in mind and spirit, bound together by mutual respect and compassion.
I join all Sri Lankans in praying that the flames of war burning in various parts of the world at this moment may be extinguished, and that all people across the globe may be blessed with lives of happiness and peace.
May all of you have a blessed Vesak!”
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Special waste management programme launched under “Clean Sri Lanka” during the State Vesak Festival
Parallel with the State Vesak Festival that commenced on Saturday (10) in the Nuwara Eliya District, a special waste management initiative has been launched under the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme to enhance facilities for devotees and ensure proper waste disposal in the city of Nuwara Eliya.
With hundreds of thousands of people expected to visit Nuwara Eliya during the Vesak Week, from May 10 to 16, this initiative is aimed at preserving the cleanliness and beauty of the area.
The programme will focus particularly on areas around the Gregory Lake, a key tourist attraction, and the Nuwara Eliya International Buddhist Centre, the venue for the State Vesak Festival.
In addition, the “Clean Sri Lanka” initiative urges visiting devotees to refrain from bringing non-biodegradable material such as polythene and calls on all citizens to act responsibly by properly disposing of waste only at designated locations, while maintaining the sanctity and cleanliness of the environment.
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