New Delhi: Chandrayaan-2, India’s second lunar mission completed one year in orbit around the moon on August 20 and has seven more years of fuel left, said Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
“Though the soft-landing attempt [of the lander carrying the rover] was not successful, the orbiter, which was equipped with eight scientific instruments, was successfully placed in the lunar orbit, an ISRO statement said. “The orbiter completed more than 4,400 orbits around the moon and all the instruments are currently performing well.” The agency added that the spacecraft was “healthy” and subsystems were performing normally.
“The orbiter is being maintained in 100 +/- 25 km polar orbit with periodic orbit maintenance maneuvers,” the statement added. “So far, 17 OMs are carried out since achieving 100 km lunar orbit on 24th September 2019. There is adequate onboard fuel to remain operational for about seven years.”
It asserted that the orbiter is being maintained in 100 +/- 25 km polar orbit with periodic orbit maintenance (OM) maneuvers. “So far, 17 OMs are carried out since achieving 100 km lunar orbit on 24th September 2019. There is adequate onboard fuel to remain operational for about seven years”, it stated.
Chandrayaan 2 was launched on July 22
India’s second moon-probe Chandrayaan 2 was launched on July 22 last year and had attempted a moon-landing on September 7. However, the much anticipated landing happened to end-up in a crash landing, after ISRO lost contact with the Vikram lander, barely at an altitude of 2.1 km from the lunar surface. This mission was launched with the objectives of obtaining detailed information on the topography, mineralogy, surface chemical composition, thermo-physical characteristics and the lunar exosphere.
India’s first lunar mission Chandrayaan-1 is credited with finding extensive presence of surface water and the indication of sub-surface polar water-ice deposits. ISRO is also working on Chandrayaan 3, the country’s third moon probe, and it is expected to be launched sometime in 2021 or later.
