CHANDRAYAAN-2: INDIA'S SECOND MOON MISSION

Image source- ISRO 

                                                                      

CHANDRAYAAN-2: INDIA'S SECOND MOON MISSION  

Overview

Chandrayaan-1 was India’s first mission to the moon, which confirmed the presence of hydroxyl/water on the lunar surface in 2009. Following this success, Chandrayaan-2 became India’s second moon mission, launched in 2019. It was decided that the mission would be carried aboard a GSLV rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota.

Origin

Initially, Chandrayaan-2 was planned as a collaborative mission between ISRO and Russia. An agreement was signed in 2007 between the two agencies to jointly develop and launch the orbiter and lander in 2013. However, according to The Hindu, the Russian space agency Roscosmos faced significant delays in constructing the lander, resulting in a major setback by December 2011.

Eventually, Russia withdrew from the mission, citing financial issues. Some reports suggested that NASA and the European Space Agency also expressed interest in participating. Nevertheless, ISRO decided to proceed with the mission independently.

Structure

According to ISRO, Chandrayaan-2 comprises three main components:

• Vikram- The lander, weighing 1,471 kg.

• Pragyan – The rover, weighing 27 kg.

• A modified version of the orbiter, weighing 2,379 kg.

The rover was housed inside the lander, which was attached to the orbiter at the time of launch. This combined assembly, known as Chandrayaan-2, was placed inside the GSLV MK III’s nose cone.

Landing Site

The landing site for Chandrayaan-2 was chosen in the Moon’s southern hemisphere, at 70.9° S, 22.8° E. This rough highland plain lies between the Manzinus C and Simpelius N craters. Before finalizing the location, ISRO analyzed data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Japan’s Kaguya orbiter to select the most suitable site.

Chandrayaan-2 deployed its lander and rover near the Moon’s south pole—a region unexplored by any other space mission before.

Curiosity
Who do you think will ultimately lay claim to the helium reserves at the Moon’s south pole?

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