![]() Perhaps Chandrayaan-1’s most important finding was related to the question of water on the Moon. The most likely cause of the end of the mission was the failure of the power supply due to overheating. This was short of the spacecraft’s planned two-year lifetime, although ISRO noted that at least 95% of its mission objectives had been accomplished by then. Last contact with Chandrayaan-1 was at 20:00 UT Aug. Instead, controllers used a mechanical gyroscope system to maintain proper attitude. A backup sensor also failed soon after, rendering inoperable the spacecraft’s primary attitude control system. In May 2009, the spacecraft was delivered to a higher 120-mile (200-kilometer) orbit, apparently in an attempt to keep the temperatures aboard the satellite to tolerable levels.Ĭhandrayaan-1 also suffered a star sensor failure after nine months of operation in lunar orbit. ![]() Indian scientists reported that data from Chandra’s altitudinal composition explorer (CHASE), which took readings every 4 seconds during its descent, suggested the existence of water in the lunar atmosphere, although the data remains inconclusive absent further verification.Ĭhandrayaan-1 experienced abnormally high temperatures beginning late November 2008 and for a time, it could only run one scientific instrument at a time. The probe fired a small deorbit motor and then went into freefall, sending back readings from its three instruments until it crashed onto the lunar surface at 15:01 UT near the Shackleton Crater at the lunar south pole. Two days later, at 14:36 UT, Chandrayaan released its 64-pound (29-kilogram) Moon Impact Probe (MIP). 12, Chandrayaan-1’s orbit was reduced gradually so that it ended up finally in its operational polar orbit at about 62 miles (100 kilometers) above the lunar surface. Initial lunar orbital parameters were about 4,660 x 310 miles (7,502 × 504 kilometers).īetween lunar orbit insertion Nov. 4 (to 236,100 miles or 380,000 kilometers).įinally, the probe successfully entered lunar orbit after a burn that began at 11:21 UT Nov. Over a period of 13 days, the apogee of the orbit was increased by five burns of the spacecraft’s 99 pound-force (44.9 kilogram-force) liquid engine that successively raised orbit on Oct. In addition to the five Indian instruments, the spacecraft carried scientific equipment from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, and Bulgaria.Ĭhandrayaan-1 was launched into an initial geostationary transfer orbit of 140 x 14,180 miles (225 × 22,817 kilometers) at a 17.9-degree inclination. Scientific goals included the study of the chemical, mineralogical and photogeologic mapping of the Moon. 28, 2009 / 20:00 UT ResultsĬhandrayaan-1, the first Indian deep space mission, was launched to orbit the Moon and to dispatch an impactor to the surface. This was India's first deep space mission (and first trip to the Moon).Įnd of Mission: Aug.Chandra’s Altitudinal Composition Explorer (Mass Spectrometer) (CHASE) Miniature Synthetic Aperture Radar (Mini SAR)ģ. Sub Kev Atom Reflecting Analyzer (SARA)ĩ. Chandrayaan-1 X-ray Spectrometer (CIXS)Ĩ. Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, IndiaĦ. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
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