Chandrayaan-2
Encyclopedia
Chandrayaan-2 is a joint lunar exploration mission proposed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
and the Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA)
and has a projected cost of . The mission, proposed to be launched in 2014 by a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
(GSLV) launch vehicle, includes a lunar
orbiter
and a lunar rover
made in India as well as one lander
built by Russia. According to ISRO, this mission will use and test various new technologies and conduct 'new' experiments. The wheeled rover will move on the lunar surface and will pick up soil or rock samples for on-site chemical analysis. The data will be sent to Earth through the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter. The team headed by Mylswamy Annadurai
that was behind the success of the Chandrayaan-1 mission, is working on Chandrayaan-2.
approved the mission in a meeting of the Union Cabinet held on 18 September 2008 chaired by Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh
.
On November 12, 2007, representatives of the Russian Federal Space Agency
(Roskosmos) and ISRO signed an agreement for the two agencies to work together on the Chandrayaan-2 project. ISRO will have the prime responsibility for the orbiter and rover, while Roskosmos will be responsible for the lander. The design of the space craft was completed in August 2009, with scientists of both countries conducting a joint review.
The mission is planned to fly on a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-II
(GSLV) with an approximate lift-off weight of 2,650 kg from Satish Dhawan Space Center
on Sriharikota Island.
Orbiter:
ISRO
will design the orbiter
, which will orbit the Moon at an altitude of 200km. It is decided that the mission would carry five payloads on the orbiter. Three of the payloads are new, while two others are improved versions of those flown on Chandrayaan-1 orbiter. The approximate launch mass will be 1,400 kg.
Lander:
Unlike Chandrayaan-1's lunar probe, which impacted the Moon's surface, the lander will make a soft landing
. The Russian Federal Space Agency
will provide the lander
. The approximate weight of the lander and rover is 1,250 kg. The Russian space agency Roscosmos
plans to test the lander in 2011.
Rover:
The rover will weigh 30-100 kg and will operate on solar power. The rover will move on wheels on the lunar surface, pick up samples of soil or rocks, perform chemical analysis and send the data to the orbiter above, which will relay it to the Earth station.
and ESA would participate in the mission by providing some scientific instruments for the orbiter, ISRO has later clarified that due to weight restrictions it will not be carrying foreign payloads on this mission.
Orbiter payload:
Rover payload:
Indian Space Research Organisation
The Indian Space Research Organisation is an independent Indian governmental agency established in 1969 for the research and development of vehicles and activities for the exploration of space within and outside of Earth’s atmosphere. Headquartered in Bangalore...
and the Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA)
Russian Federal Space Agency
The Russian Federal Space Agency , commonly called Roscosmos and abbreviated as FKA and RKA , is the government agency responsible for the Russian space science program and general aerospace research. It was previously the Russian Aviation and Space Agency .Headquarters of Roscosmos are located...
and has a projected cost of . The mission, proposed to be launched in 2014 by a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle is an expendable launch system operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation...
(GSLV) launch vehicle, includes a lunar
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
orbiter
Orbiter
An orbiter is a space probe that orbits a planet.-Asteroids:*NEAR Shoemaker...
and a lunar rover
Lunar rover
The Lunar Roving Vehicle or lunar rover was a battery-powered four-wheeled rover used on the Moon in the last three missions of the American Apollo program during 1971 and 1972...
made in India as well as one lander
Lander (spacecraft)
A lander is a spacecraft which descends toward and comes to rest on the surface of an astronomical body. For bodies with atmospheres, the landing is called atmospheric reentry and the lander descends as a re-entry vehicle...
built by Russia. According to ISRO, this mission will use and test various new technologies and conduct 'new' experiments. The wheeled rover will move on the lunar surface and will pick up soil or rock samples for on-site chemical analysis. The data will be sent to Earth through the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter. The team headed by Mylswamy Annadurai
Mylswamy Annadurai
Mylswamy Annadurai is a scientist with the Indian Space Research Organization and currently serves as the Project Director of Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2. Annadurai writes a regular column, "Kaiyaruke Nila"...
that was behind the success of the Chandrayaan-1 mission, is working on Chandrayaan-2.
History
The Indian GovernmentGovernment of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
approved the mission in a meeting of the Union Cabinet held on 18 September 2008 chaired by Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
.
On November 12, 2007, representatives of the Russian Federal Space Agency
Russian Federal Space Agency
The Russian Federal Space Agency , commonly called Roscosmos and abbreviated as FKA and RKA , is the government agency responsible for the Russian space science program and general aerospace research. It was previously the Russian Aviation and Space Agency .Headquarters of Roscosmos are located...
(Roskosmos) and ISRO signed an agreement for the two agencies to work together on the Chandrayaan-2 project. ISRO will have the prime responsibility for the orbiter and rover, while Roskosmos will be responsible for the lander. The design of the space craft was completed in August 2009, with scientists of both countries conducting a joint review.
Design
Space craft:The mission is planned to fly on a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-II
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle is an expendable launch system operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation...
(GSLV) with an approximate lift-off weight of 2,650 kg from Satish Dhawan Space Center
Satish Dhawan Space Centre
The Satish Dhawan Space Centre is the launch centre for the Indian Space Research Organisation . It is located in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India, north of Chennai in South India. It was originally called Sriharikota High Altitude Range , and was sometime known as Sriharikota Launching Range...
on Sriharikota Island.
Orbiter:
ISRO
Indian Space Research Organisation
The Indian Space Research Organisation is an independent Indian governmental agency established in 1969 for the research and development of vehicles and activities for the exploration of space within and outside of Earth’s atmosphere. Headquartered in Bangalore...
will design the orbiter
Orbiter
An orbiter is a space probe that orbits a planet.-Asteroids:*NEAR Shoemaker...
, which will orbit the Moon at an altitude of 200km. It is decided that the mission would carry five payloads on the orbiter. Three of the payloads are new, while two others are improved versions of those flown on Chandrayaan-1 orbiter. The approximate launch mass will be 1,400 kg.
Lander:
Unlike Chandrayaan-1's lunar probe, which impacted the Moon's surface, the lander will make a soft landing
Soft landing (rocketry)
A soft landing is any type of aircraft or rocket landing that does not result in the destruction of the vehicle or anything onboard. Unlike a hard landing, soft landings are very smooth and steady. They are often called 'good landings' because of the smooth way the aircraft lands....
. The Russian Federal Space Agency
Russian Federal Space Agency
The Russian Federal Space Agency , commonly called Roscosmos and abbreviated as FKA and RKA , is the government agency responsible for the Russian space science program and general aerospace research. It was previously the Russian Aviation and Space Agency .Headquarters of Roscosmos are located...
will provide the lander
Lander (spacecraft)
A lander is a spacecraft which descends toward and comes to rest on the surface of an astronomical body. For bodies with atmospheres, the landing is called atmospheric reentry and the lander descends as a re-entry vehicle...
. The approximate weight of the lander and rover is 1,250 kg. The Russian space agency Roscosmos
Russian Federal Space Agency
The Russian Federal Space Agency , commonly called Roscosmos and abbreviated as FKA and RKA , is the government agency responsible for the Russian space science program and general aerospace research. It was previously the Russian Aviation and Space Agency .Headquarters of Roscosmos are located...
plans to test the lander in 2011.
Rover:
The rover will weigh 30-100 kg and will operate on solar power. The rover will move on wheels on the lunar surface, pick up samples of soil or rocks, perform chemical analysis and send the data to the orbiter above, which will relay it to the Earth station.
Payload
ISRO has announced that an expert committee has decided on five payloads for the orbiter, and two for the rover. While it was initially reported that NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
and ESA would participate in the mission by providing some scientific instruments for the orbiter, ISRO has later clarified that due to weight restrictions it will not be carrying foreign payloads on this mission.
Orbiter payload:
- Large Area Soft X-ray SpectrometerSoft x-ray emission spectroscopySoft X-ray emission spectroscopy is an experimental technique for determining the electronic structure of materials. It is a form of X-ray spectroscopy.-Uses:...
(CLASS) from ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bangalore and Solar X-ray monitorSolar X-ray Imager-Operation:The Solar X-ray Imager aboard the GOES 12, GOES 13, GOES 14, and GOES 15 United States NOAA weather satellites is used for early detection of solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and space phenomena that impact human spaceflight and military and commercial satellite communications...
(XSM) from Physical Research LaboratoryPhysical Research LaboratoryThe Physical Research Laboratory is a national Research Institute for space and allied sciences, supported mainly by Department of Space, Government of India. This research laboratory has ongoing research programmes in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Atmospheric Sciences and Aeronomy, Earth Sciences,...
(PRL), AhmedabadAhmedabadAhmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
for mapping major elements present on the lunar surface.
- LL bandL band refers to four different bands of the electromagnetic spectrum: 40 to 60 GHz , 1 to 2 GHz , 1565 nm to 1625 nm , and around 3.5 micrometres .-NATO L band:...
and S bandS bandThe S band is defined by an IEEE standard for radio waves with frequencies that range from 2 to 4 GHz, crossing the conventional boundary between UHF and SHF at 3.0 GHz. It is part of the microwave band of the electromagnetic spectrum...
Synthetic Aperture RadarSynthetic aperture radarSynthetic-aperture radar is a form of radar whose defining characteristic is its use of relative motion between an antenna and its target region to provide distinctive long-term coherent-signal variations that are exploited to obtain finer spatial resolution than is possible with conventional...
(SAR) from Space Applications CentreSpace Applications CentreThe Space Applications Centre is an institution of research in Ahmedabad, India under the aegis of the Indian Space Research Organization...
(SAC), Ahmedabad for probing the first few tens of metres of the lunar surface for the presence of different constituents, including water ice. SAR is expected to provide further evidence confirming the presence of water ice below the shadowed regions of the Moon.
- Imaging IR SpectrometerImaging spectrometerAn imaging spectrometer is an instrument used in hyperspectral imaging and imaging spectroscopy to acquire a spectrally-resolved image of an object or scene, often referred to as a datacube due to the three-dimensional representation of the data. Namely, two axes of the image corresponds to...
(IIRS) from SAC, Ahmedabad for mapping of lunar surface over a wide wavelength range for the study of minerals, water molecules and hydroxylHydroxylA hydroxyl is a chemical group containing an oxygen atom covalently bonded with a hydrogen atom. In inorganic chemistry, the hydroxyl group is known as the hydroxide ion, and scientists and reference works generally use these different terms though they refer to the same chemical structure in...
present.
- Neutral Mass SpectrometerMass spectrometryMass spectrometry is an analytical technique that measures the mass-to-charge ratio of charged particles.It is used for determining masses of particles, for determining the elemental composition of a sample or molecule, and for elucidating the chemical structures of molecules, such as peptides and...
(ChACE-2) from Space Physics LaboratoryVikram Sarabhai Space CentreThe Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre is a major space research centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation , focusing on rocket and space vehicles for India's satellite programme...
(SPL), Thiruvananthapuram to carry out a detailed study of the lunar exosphere.
- Terrain Mapping Camera-2 (TMC-2) from SAC, Ahmedabad for preparing a three-dimensional map essential for studying the lunar mineralogy and geology.
Rover payload:
- Laser induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) from Laboratory for Electro Optic Systems ( LEOS), Bangalore.
- Alpha Particle Induced X-ray Spectroscope (APIXS) from PRL, Ahmedabad.
See also
- Chandrayaan-1
- List of current and future lunar missions