HAIL
INDIA'S SPACE PROGRAM
MOON SHOT CHANDRAYAAN-1
The
indigenous space program of India added another feather to their
cap (or turban) by a successful launch of their 1st Unmanned Moon Probe
the
Chandrayaan which lifted off from the second launch pad at Satish
Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh on Oct 21,2008.
ISROChandrayaan1.html
Chandrayaan lifted-off at 0620 hours on board the indigenous built
rocket, PSLV-C11, from the spaceport of Sriharikota on the east coast
in Andhra Pradesh, some 100 km north of Chennai. The event marks
India's entry into small group of nations, capable of exploring the
Moon the European Space Agency (ESA), Japan, China, the US and
Russia/USSR
Chandrayaan-1 carries 11 payloads (scientific instruments) - five from
India, three from ESA, two from the US and one from Bulgaria.
The 1380-kg Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft will first reach a highly
elliptical Initial orbit and thereafter the satellite's Liquid Apogee
Motor (LAM) will be fired at appropriate moments that will finally take
it to an orbit at a height of 100 km around the moon around November
eight.
The mission will undertake remote-sensing of the moon in the visible,
near infrared, microwave and X-ray regions of the electromagnetic
spectrum. Thus a three-dimensional atlas of the lunar surface will be
mapped.
"Basically, this (Chandrayaan-1) is meant for a comprehensive mapping
of the lunar surface. Earlier missions (by others) focused on specific
regions or looked at
one aspect or other only. It's for the first time (in the world) that
we will have the entire lunar surface mapped up" said ISRO Chairman G
Madhavan Nair.
DESCRIPTION
OF PAYLOADS
http://www.isro.org/pslv-c11/brochure/page7.htm
Photos
courtesy ISRO
ISRO
The prime objective of ISRO is to develop space technology and its
application to various national tasks. ISRO has established two major
space systems, INSAT for communication, television broadcasting and
meteorological services, and Indian Remote Sensing Satellites (IRS)
system for resources monitoring and management. ISRO has developed two
satellite launch vehicles, PSLV and GSLV, to place INSAT and IRS
satellites in the required orbits
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DESCRIPTION OF
PAYLOADS
http://www.isro.org/pslv-c11/brochure/page7.htm
Photos
courtesy ISRO
COMMENTS
BY TOP SCIENTISTS
Madhavan
Nair: Chairman ISRO
"It
is a historic moment. We have begun our journey to
the moon. It has been a remarkable performance by the launch vehicle
(PSLV C11), which was perfectly launched. "Every parameter of the
mission performed as per the dot board. The
spacecraft (1,380 kg) has been given sufficient velocity and altitude.
It has been left at the right direction. Now it is orbiting the earth
with precision around 23,000 km apogee (farthest point from earth) and
256 km at the perigree (nearest point from earth). We will be using
subsequently the spacecraft engine for raising the orbit to the lunar
height of about 384,000 km. Today,
what we have chartered is a remarkable journey for the Indian
spacecraft to go to the moon and try to unravel the mysteries of the
earth's closest celestial body and its natural satellite. "I
take this opportunity to congratulate every one of you who have
contributed to this great success. In fact, we have been fighting
against all odds in the last four days.
"There
were heavy rains and thunderstorms but fortunately, we have a
clear sky. No lightning exercise and we have achieved what we wanted in
the first day of the journey.
"We
will be completing the remaining part of the journey in about 15
days and our teams are well equipped and practised to implement from
the Deep Space Network at Bylalu near Bangalore (about 40 km) and
telemetry, tracking and command network (Istrac) in Bangalore."
M.Y.S.
Prasad, associate director, Satish Dhawan Space Centre,
Sriharikota: "The first phase of
this big mission is completed. We hand
over the phase two of the mission to the next team - DSN and Istrac."
M.
Annadurai, project director of Chandrayaan-1, Sriharikota: "Our baby
is on its way to the moon. It will reach its destination in the next 15
days."
K.
Radhakrishnan, director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre,
Thiruvananthapuram: "The successful
launch of the Chandrayaan mission
is a tribute to the visionaries who laid the foundation for this
organisation, built the team ISRO and envisioned the mission.
"Today
is a beginning of a new era. We could not have asked for more."
George
Koshy, director of ISRO space applications centre, Ahmedabad:
"Words don't come. We have been working continuously for all these days
with nature giving necessary break whenever we wanted. I have also seen
the moon coming in between and peeping at us to see how we are working.
"Besides
ISRO teams, industries and institutions have all contributed to the
success of the mission."
T.A.
Alex, director of ISRO satellite centre, Bangalore: "We got the
reward for all the hard work. We have made the finest satellite
(Chandrayaan), which is (in) orbit. We assure you that the spacecraft
will go (to) the moon in a few days."
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CHANDRAYAAN-1
YAY CONGRATS
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