Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft proves capable of handling harsh launch conditions: ISRO

India’s national space agency ISRO announced on Thursday that it has reached a new milesone in the pursuit of a soft landing on the Moon, with the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft having successfully completed “the essential tests” that validated its capability to withstand the harsh vibration and acoustic environment that the spacecraft would face during its launch. The tests were conducted during the first week of March in the facilities located at U R Rao Satellite Centre here, the Bengaluru-headquartered national space agency said in a statement today.

“These tests are an essential part of the qualification and acceptance process for any spacecraft,” ISRO said, adding that they were particularly challenging, considering the fact that the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is a composite of three modules — Propulsion Module, Lander Module and the Rover module.

The vibration and acoustic tests carried out on the integrated spacecraft has provided sufficient confidence about its structural integrity and survivability in the launch environment, the statement added.