Chandrayaan 2 is India second lunar mission with three models the Orbiter, Lander ( Vikram )and Rover (Pragyan). Both Orbiter and Lander are StackedTogether mechanically as integrated module where rover will be inside Lander and it is launched by India's prestigious GSLV Mark 3 launch vehicle.
Working of Chandrayaan 2
--- GSLV Mark 3 rocket will first launch the Chandrayaan2 in earth parking Orbit (170*40400km) then height of orbit is slowly enhanced still Chandrayaan2 reaches moon's Orbit .
---After reaching moon's Orbit the Lander and Rover get separated from orbiter and by series of braking mechanism lander will make soft landing
Why lunar landing is important
--- Unlike Chandrayaan 1 which attempted only orbitor Chandrayan2 atempts for soft landing and study moon surface through Rover.
---soft landing is very difficult as Lander will be in free fall state, due to moon's gravity that could end up with crashing on moon.
---because of lack of air to provide drag, Lander cannot make use of parachutes like Technologies
--- to enable smooth landing speed of lander should reach to 3.6 kilometre per hour which is real difficult task.
working of Rover
Unlike previous landers that landed near equator of moon to receive good sunlight, Vikram Lander is landing on south pole of moon that would help to find
roots of fossil records of early solar system and possibility to extra presence of water this is another speciality for Chandrayaan 2 .
Therefore with search complexities in soft landing the success of softlanding itself itself a great milestone for ISRO as well as Global space exploration agencies.
The chandrayaan 2, is India’s one of the most prestigious
missions, with many imperatives. It has been the first ever mission to southern
part of moon with indigenously prepared
technology . India joins the elite club of 3 countries who had done soft
landing on moon till now.
The way Chandrayaan 2 study the moon:
The mission is planned to be launched to the Moon by
a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk III). It includes a
lunar orbiter, lander( Vikram) and rover( Pragyan), all developed indigenously.
The GSLV Mark III rocket will first launch the
spacecraft into an Earth Parking Orbit (170 km X 40,400 km). The craft reaches
out to lunar transfer trajectory after attaining the escape velocity from earth
orbit. Then it will be eased into a circular orbit (100 km X 100 km). From this
orbit, the lander and rover will separate as a unit from the orbiter, and,
through a series of braking mechanisms, the duo will “soft-land” on the moon,
on September 6, 2019.
The rover will move on 6 wheels
traversing 500 meters on the lunar surface at the rate of 1 cm per second,
performing on-site chemical analysis and sending the data to the lander, which
will relay it to the Earth station.
The expected operating time of Pragyaan rover is one
lunar day or around 14 Earth days but its power system has a solar-powered
sleep/wake-up cycle implemented, which could result in longer service time than
planned.
Thus, it sends the data in 3D view
regarding the terrain around it to earth station where data shall be
interpreted to know the possibilities of presence of water, minerals..etc.
The powered lunar landing is important in many ways:
1. It's
the first Space mission in world to conduct a soft landing on the moon's South Polar
region.
2. The
moon is the closest cosmic body at which space discovery can be attempted and
documented. It is also a promising test bed to demonstrate technologies
required for deep-space missions.
3. The
Chandrayan 2 mission will help us in better understanding of the origin and
evolution of the moon as it will conduct detailed topographical studies,
comprehensive mineralogical experiments etc.
4. The
lunar South Pole is especially interesting because of the lunar surface area
here that remains in shadow and is much larger than that at the North Pole.
There is a possibility of the presence of water in permanently shadowed areas
around it.
5. Evidence
for water molecules on the moon discovered by Chandrayaan-1 requires further
studies
6. Chandrayaan-2
attempts to foster a new age of discovery, increase understanding of space
7. Also,
stimulate advancement of technology, promote global alliances & inspire
future generations
Thus , the new age technological advancement, with
CHANDRAYAAN 2 shall inspire the future generations that leads to more
innovations from Indian soil. ISRO with its never ending success rates always tries
to unravel the mysteries of space that would someday result a good to entire
humanity.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
PAYLOADS BEING CARRIED
BY CHANDRAYAAN 2:
|
Launch mass |
Combined(wet): 3,850 kg (8,490 lb)[2][3][4] |
|
Payload mass |
Orbiter(wet): 2,379 kg (5,245 lb)[3][4] |
Orbiter
payload
The orbiter will orbit
the Moon at an altitude of 100 km (62 mi). The orbiter carries
five scientific instruments. Three of them are new, while two others are
improved versions of those flown on Chandrayaan-1. The approximate
launch mass will be 2,379 kg (5,245 lb). Orbiter High
Resolution Camera (OHRC) will conduct high-resolution observations of the
landing site prior to separation of the lander from the orbiter. The
orbiter's structure was manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and delivered to ISRO Satellite Centre.
1. Chandrayaan-2 Large Area Soft X-ray Spectrometer (CLASS)
from ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC),
Bangalore
Vikram lander payload
The
mission's lander is called Vikram (Sanskrit: विक्रम, lit. 'Valour') named after Vikram Sarabhai(1919-1971), who is
widely regarded as the father of the Indian space programme. The Vikram lander will
detach from the orbiter and descend to a lunar orbit of 30 km
× 100 km (19 mi × 62 mi) using its 800 N
(180 lbf) liquid main engines. It will then perform a comprehensive
check of all its on-board systems before attempting a soft landing, deploy the rover,
and perform some scientific activities for approximately 15 days. The
approximate combined mass of the lander and rover is 1,471 kg
Pragyaan rover payload
The mission's
rover is called Pragyaan (Sanskrit: प्रज्ञान, lit. 'Wisdom') The rover's mass is about 27 kg
(60 lb) and will operate on solar power.[3][4] The rover
will move on 6 wheels traversing 500 meters on the lunar surface at the rate of
1 cm per second, performing on-site chemical analysis and sending the data
to the lander, which will relay it to the Earth station. The expected
operating time of Pragyaan rover is one lunar day or around 14 Earth days but its
power system has a solar-powered sleep/wake-up cycle implemented, which could
result in longer service time than planned
1.
Laser induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS)
from Laboratory for Electro Optic Systems (LEOS), Bangalore.
WATER ON MOON AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES
The earth and its
satellite moon are believed to have had common origin. Their mineral
composition of their surfaces point to conjoined past. Water is a strong link
between the two celestial objects.
Isro says,
"Evidence for water molecules discovered by Chandrayaan-1, requires
further studies on the extent of water molecule distribution on the surface,
below the surface and in the tenuous lunar exosphere to address the origin of
water on the moon."
Chandrayaan-1 was a
unique mission in many respects with the key focus to search for evidence for
water on the moon. Chandrayaan-1 data showed evidence for water in the
exosphere of the moon, on its surface and also sub-surface (tens of metres
deep).
Is water available all
over moon?
No. Till now only
traces of water have been found on the moon's sub-surface. But the scientists
believe that the polar regions of the moon contain greater quantity of water.
"In addition,
South Pole region has craters that are cold traps and contain a fossil record
of the early solar system," explains Isro.
Water in the polar
regions of the moon, scientists believe, might have come from primordial
origin. This means water frozen in polar regions of the moon might be 3-4
billion years old. It remained preserved there due to unique geometry of solar
illumination that prevents direct sunlight from entering craters in polar
regions.
Chandrayaan-2 is
carrying equipment that are more sensitive to sub-surface water than those
Chndrayaan-1 explored the moon.
What next?
Bringing moon water to
water starved cities of India is, at present, an unfathomable dream. But the
success of Chandrayaan-2 may prove an important step in giant leap towards
space exploration.
The ready access to
water at the poles has both scientific and utilitarian interest, says Isro. A
sample of primordial water would be key to understanding origin of water on the
moon and possibly the earth as well. It may unravel the mystery of water in the
solar system.
Isro hopes that the
moon could form the base for fuel and oxygen and other critical raw materials.
And, if the moon can be considered a pit-stop for resources including water,
space transportation could be more affordable. Finding a home way from the
earth may not be that far in future!
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