The fact that India is only the 4th country in the world that has attempted to send a mission to the moon makes my heart swell with pride. The Chandrayaan with its lunar orbiter, the Vikram lander, and the Pragyan lunar rover has been successful to make the soft-land on the moon on August 23rd, 2023.

The nation watched this milestone live at 5.30 PM IST, on August 2023. If your child is curious and wants to know fun facts about Chandrayaan-3, here are a few facts that would interest them:

Chandrayaan-3 was launched at 2.35 PM IST on July 14, 2023 and this mission by ISRO made its successful landing on August 2023.
It is the only country who has sent its rocket and made a successful landing on the south pole of the moon. And only 3 countries have had successful missions on the moon – the US, the former Soviet Union, & China
The quest for water on the Moon began in 2008 when Chandrayaan-1 suggested the existence of water. Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) aboard Chandrayaan-1 made one of its biggest discoveries in the water quest on the Moon. As published on the official site of ISRO, the data confirmed the presence of Hydroxyl & water molecules on the lunar surface and water-ice deposits in the base of the craters. Since the previous missions have suggested the highest potential for water in the polar regions, Chandryaan-3 will be the first to explore the Moon’s South Pole to gather more insights into lunar water.
Water ice is a valuable resource for future human exploration of the Moon, as it could be used for drinking water, fuel, and oxygen.

The craft consists of the lander Vikram which is 1,752 kg, 280 kg heavier than the other one.
The craft collectively weighs 3900 kg. The propulsion module weighs 2,148 kg, and the lander and the rover weigh 1,752 kg. This total weight is close to the maximum capacity of the GSLV Mk III, which is India’s strongest rocket.
The Pragyan rover is deployed to explore for 14 earth days, which is equivalent to one lunar day of sunlight.The rover will be released from Vikram using a ramp. This six-wheeled rover is powered by solar energy and carries two spectrometers to study the composition of the Moon’s surface.
The 4 instruments in the Vikram Lander will detect moonquakes, heat moves, plasma environment around the moon, and the gravitational interaction between the moon and the planet.

What Our Kids Can Learn From The Chandrayaan Mission

One Step Forward. Don’t Worry About The Result

The brain behind it, the space agency ISRO’s Chairman K Sivan was visibly upset when things didn’t go as planned. But then parenting is like that too. Things never go as planned. Some of the best talent in the country put this mission together but this disappointment doesn’t mean they won’t try again. We have to keep telling our kids and ourselves – put your best foot forward also, and continue to learn. The results may not always be the way you planned and that’s OK too. But this time around, we are very close to hitting the milestone!

Aim For The Moon

India is the first country to attempt to land a mission on the South Pole of the Moon via Chandrayaan-2. No one has launched a mission to the unexplored Moon’s South Pole. What can this teach our kids? Learn to dream big and break that glass ceiling. We must tell our kids to dream big and help them and guide them to achieve their dreams. You never know what they are capable of unless you let them try.

Interest Amongst Kids

My kids have been talking about the moon and space and want to launch their own rocket. The interest that it has drummed up in the younger generation is heartening. You never know who the next great minds may be and what they will come up with! Communication and focusing on your child learning rather than a win is the key and way forward.

If your child wants to know about the Chandrayaan 2 landing listen to our podcast.

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A post shared by Kidsstoppress | Parenting (@kidsstoppress) on Jul 23, 2019 at 12:09am PDT

The efforts of India to land on the moon have been lauded by people all over the world. Here is what they are saying.

The communication isn’t lost. Every single person in India can feel the heartbeat of #chandrayaan2 We can hear it whisper to us that ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.’ https://t.co/YS3y1kQXI2

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) September 6, 2019

Space is hard. We commend @ISRO’s attempt to land their #Chandrayaan2 mission on the Moon’s South Pole. You have inspired us with your journey and look forward to future opportunities to explore our solar system together. https://t.co/pKzzo9FDLL