NASA And ESA
Brother-in-arms NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), which have been continuously assisting ISRO in tracking the spacecraft throughout its 3.84 lakh km journey to the Moon from Earth, will on Wednesday play a crucial role in communicating with the lander module during the final descent phase, with the Chandrayaan-3 lander’s soft landing on the Moon scheduled for 6:04 p.m.
ESA to support Indian Lander
ESA’s Estrack international satellite tracking network competes with NASA’s Deep Space Network, which consists of a collection of enormous radio antennas spread throughout the globe. Estrack is an international network of ground stations that connects satellites in orbit with the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), located in Darmstadt, Germany. Seven stations spread across seven nations make up the main Estrack network. With regard to Chandrayaan-3’s final descent and rover operation, the ESA stated: “It will support the lander during the entire phase of lunar surface operations, helping to ensure that science data acquired by the rover arrives safely with ISRO in India.”
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ISRO asking for help from NASA and ESA
In order to identify, track, command, and receive telemetry and scientific data from its far-off spacecraft, ISRO runs a 32-meter deep space tracking station in Byalalu, a little-known town in Karnataka. When a spacecraft is outside the range of this antenna, assistance from other space agencies is useful for ISRO’s operators to follow or control it. Building brand-new massive antennas and command centers costs a lot of money. So, like many other space agencies and commercial enterprises throughout the world, ISRO is asking NASA and ESA for help so that it can always stay in contact with Chandrayaan-3.
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Chandrayaan 3’s journey from ESA’s POV
Chandrayaan-3 was tracked by ESA’s 15-meter antenna in Kourou, French Guiana, in the days following its July 14 launch from Sriharikota to help verify the spacecraft survived the challenges of launch and was in excellent health as it started its voyage to the Moon. ESA organized tracking assistance from the 32-meter antenna run by Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd in the UK as the spacecraft retreated from the planet. Chandrayaan-3’s lander and propulsion modules were supported by Goonhilly.
ESOC received the signals first
ESOC is the first organization to receive data and telemetry transmitted back by Chandrayaan-3 and arriving via Kourou and Goonhilly. “From there, they will be sent to Isro for analysis. The two European stations will complement support from NASA’s Deep Space Network and ISRO’s own stations to ensure the spacecraft’s operators never lose sight of their pioneering Moon craft,” the ESA said.
