NSS - Mumbai Blogs

  In the vast expanse of the cosmos, the moon has captivated humanity with its enigmatic allure. India, among many nations, has embarked on a remarkable journey of lunar exploration, with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at the forefront. Today, as we witness the successful launch of Chandrayaan 3, let us delve into its significance and celebrate India's triumph in pushing the boundaries of space exploration. The Objectives of Chandrayaan 3: Chandrayaan 3 represents a significant milestone in India's ambitious lunar exploration program, aimed at achieving scientific and technological breakthroughs. But what sets this mission apart is the remarkable story behind its existence. A Tale of Resilience: Let us take a moment to reflect on the challenges faced during the previous Chandrayaan missions. In September 2019, Chandrayaan 2's lander, Vikram, and the Pragyan rover came agonizingly close to landing successfully on the lunar surface. Despite facing a setback, th

  Ingenuity Helicopter | Credit: NASA Can you guess the name of the first drone that flew to the other planet? If you are thinking of the Perseverance Mission, you are going in the right direction. It is an Ingenuity helicopter developed by NASA.  Let’s explore how this helicopter and its partner explorer, the Perseverance Rover, achieved something that was almost impossible. Making the impossible happen Ingenuity is nestled up sideways under the belly of Perseverance rover | Credit: NASA Ingenuity, the Martian Helicopter, is a technological demonstration that aims to test powered, controlled flight on an alien planet for the first time. On the Perseverance rover, it was transported to Mars. The Ingenuity was deployed to the surface once the rover had found a suitable "airfield" location so it could conduct several test flights over a 30-day testing period on Mars. Rovers have been sent to another planet earlier as well, but the ingenuity helicopter is the first of it

  Have you heard of " Rosetta " and " Philae ? "  Yes, I am talking about the famous interstellar love story of the Philae lander and its partner satellite, Rosetta. It was not just a mission but a story to be told as the Philae lander left an indelible mark in the hearts of people. It is not wrong to call it "the great Rosetta and Philae mission," as it has achieved a few of the biggest milestones in history. They did what no spacecraft had ever done before: orbit a comet and land on it. Its tragic end also fabricates a thriller story that cannot be forgotten. So, let’s dive deep into the mission and understand why we still admire Rosetta’s Philae lander. Landing at the Destined Location Rosetta is a European deep space probe launched in 2004 and consists of the orbiter spacecraft Rosetta and the lander Philae. The goal of the mission, which was designed to make human history in space, was to slingshot the spacecraft around the planet until it finally cau

Spacecraft of MMX mission|Source: JAXA Martian Moons eXploration(MMX) is the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) mission to shed light on the history of the Martian moons and the evolution of the Mars region. The mission's objective includes observing Mars' two moons, Phobos and Deimos, and returning to the Earth with a sample taken from one of them. The launch of this mission is scheduled for 2024 and return to the Earth in 2029. The mission seeks to offer crucial data that will assist in determining whether the Martian moons are the consequence of bigger bodies striking Mars or captured asteroids impacting the planet. Why Phobos and Deimos? Phobos and Deimos|Source: Quora Among the numerous moons currently in the Solar System, only two terrestrial planets, Earth and Mars, have their moons. Phobos and Deimos are two of those three moons. We have a plethora of information from the exploration of the Earth's Moon which includes sample return missions that reveal