Mumbai, Feb 5: The Chandrayaan-2 mission of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be the first one ever to soft land near the moon’s south pole. Former ISRO chief AS Kiran Kumar informed that for, the touchdown of India’s second flight to the moon, the organisation has identified two locations out of which one will be chosen.
In a The Times of India report, he was quoted as saying,”We have identified two locations and will be choosing one. No other moon mission has landed in this area.” (Chandrayaan-2: Here’s Everything You Want to Know About ISRO’s Second Date With Moon)
Notably, in this regard, the landing simulations are currently on at ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion System Centre at Mahendra Giri in Tamil Nadu. The exercise involves a prototype of the lander simulating a soft landing from a height of 70-80 metres. (NASA finds India’s lost Chandrayaan-1 orbiting Moon)
Kumar added that Chandrayaan-2’s flight hardware is being readied and the launch can be expected in the first quarter of 2018 or during the second half.
Chandrayaan-2 is likely to take off on a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark II. It would comprise an orbiter, lander and six-wheeled rover which would move around the landing site and instruments on it would send back data that would be useful in analysing the lunar soil. After reaching the lunar orbit, the Lander housing the rover will separate from the orbiter. After a controlled descent, the lander will soft land on the lunar surface at a specified site and deploy the rover.
Earlier on January 12, the Indian Space Research Organisation launched its 100th satellite along with 30 others in a single mission. The satellites were launched from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota at 9.29 am. On its 42nd mission, ISRO’s trusted workhorse ‘PSLV-C40’ is carrying the weather observation ‘Cartosat-2’ series satellite and 30 co-passengers.