Artificial Intelligence is exhibiting its tremendous possibilities and potential in almost every field, from education to entertainment. Through automation, AI is propelling efficiency and increasing productivity. And now, India’s Chandrayaan 3, which has made a historic landing on the Lunar South Pole, has also leveraged the power of AI in several stages of its third Moon mission!

This achievement not only flickered India’s goal of being the first country to reach the south pole of the Moon but also drew the attention of various space agencies that are intrigued by the potential of water.

Let’s peep into how AI plays a pivotal role in facilitating the moon landing mission of the Indian Space Research Organisation.

Role of AI in the Moon mission

Artificial Intelligence has been rapidly emerging as an essential asset across varied industries, and space exploration is significant. Advanced technology like AI aids in analysing the data, offers predictive insights, autonomous navigation, optimises mission operation, and anomaly detection, all quickly. Moreover, in India’s third mission, Chandrayaan 3, AI has played a significant role that is similar to the previous space missions.

The AI-powered sensors have played a crucial role in the process of securing the touchdown of the lander on the lunar surface. The technology assisted the Lander Hazard Detection and Avoidance Camera to anticipate the lunar topography for any kind of hurdles or obstacles that can bring risk while soft landing. It helped to expertly navigate its decent, mitigate risks and ensure safety.

S Somanath, the ISRO Chairman, revealed a technological breakthrough emphasising a velocimeters and altimeters sensor array. Such instruments offer vital data like the speed and altitude of the lander. At the same time, a suite of cameras (which includes a hazard avoidance camera and inertia-based cameras) captures the most important visuals. These data streams are effortlessly integrated with advanced computer algorithms to generate an inclusive image pinpointing the precise location of the lander. 

The AI-integrated rover Pragyan

The lunar exploration phase of the rover, Pragyan will also be assisted by AI. The AI algorithms will guide in terms of locating and mapping intriguing lunar features and charting the optimal route for efficient exploration of the rover. The rover is fitted with navigation cameras and an RX/TX antenna, which will be used by AI in order to guide it during the entire operation. Pragyan is equipped with an Alpha Particle X-ray spectrometer and a Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS). The spacecraft will collect vital data simultaneously, and AI will take centre stage while it is in the analysis phase, engaging actively in analysis. The involvement of Artificial Intelligence will enable insights that might remain hidden through conventional approaches. The AI-integrated rover will conduct experimental analysis of the landing region, observe and study the chemical and mineralogical composition of the lunar soil in the vicinity.

Moreover, with the success of the Chandrayaan 3 landing, India has become the only fourth country to achieve this goal after countries like the US, Russia and China. As per ISRO, this mission comprises three key objectives such as,

• To showcase a safe and gentle lunar surface landing
• To demonstrate the mobility of a rover across the Moon’s terrain
• To execute in-situ scientific experiments

This most anticipated third lunar exploration of ISRO grabbed the world’s attention after the ground-breaking Chandrayaan-2 project due to its exceptional contribution to the space exploration domain.

• https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/chandrayaan-3-lands-on-moon-and-ai-played-role-in-how-it-flew-and-landed-2425605-2023-08-23
• https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/chandrayaan3-ai-driving-india-s-historic-landing-on-the-moon-71692786210792.html
• Photo by NASA on Unsplash