Topic of the Week- Chandrayaan-1

Though according to numerous reports in Indian media, contact was lost with the
lunar orbiter Chandrayaan-1 abruptly -- in the middle of a communications session
with Earth -- at 1:30 Indian time on Friday (Thursday, August 27, at 20:00 UTC),
it is not the end of the road.

According to ISRO has completed a majority of its objectives, and the data
collected will be useful for C-II launch. By 2014, Indian Space Scientists plan
to launch an Indian into space and onto Moon by 2020.

A very brief history of Indian Moon Mission

• The seeds for the Chandrayaan-1 was sown on during a lecture on May 11,
1999, by the than ISRO director, Dr.Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan.

• Originally called Somayana, the Moon mission was approved in 2003.

• It was in that year that then Prime Minister A B Vajpayee re-christened it
Chandrayaan during the Independence Day address.
• October 2, 2008, the spacecraft was transported by road from Bangalore to
Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota Range, Andhra Pradesh.
• At 6-22 AM on October 22, 2008, it was hoisted into space onboard a PSLV
rocket.
• It entered deep space (distance of 1,50,000 km from Earth) on October 26.
• The moon-craft reached the lunar orbit (100 km from Moon) on November 12.
• The Indian tricolour painted on a 30-kg instrument (Moon Impact Probe)
landed on the lunar soil on November 14, birth anniversary of late Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru.
• May 20, 2009, a snag onboard star sensors forced scientists to raise it to a
new orbit 200 km from lunar soil.
• August 21, a unique joint experiment conducted by Chandrayaan-1and Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), to search for water-ice on lunar soil.
• August 29, 2009, Chandrayaan-1lost radio contact with ground station (Deep
Space Network, Byalalu).
• August 30, 2009, Indian Space Scientists are determined to arrive at the
Root Cause Analysis for the lost radio contact.

The cost of the Chandrayaan-1 was around Rs400crs, far less compared with its
counter-parts. In a magnanimous gesture, typical of Indans, ISRO Chief Madhavan
Nair, offered world scientists a chance to put their instruments onboard
Chandrayaan-1 for free!!!!!1

Cheers to ISRO and to our fellow country-men