Chandrayaan-1

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Chandrayaan-1
Mission typeLunar orbiter
OperatorIndian Space Research Organisation
COSPAR ID2008-052A
SATCAT no.33405
Websitewww.isro.gov.in/Spacecraft/chandrayaan-1
Mission durationPlanned: 2 years
Final: 10 months, 6 days
Spacecraft properties
Launch mass1,380 kg (3,040 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date22 October 2008, 00:52 (2008-10-22UTC00:52) UTC
RocketPSLV-XL C11
Launch siteSatish Dhawan Second Pad
ContractorISRO
End of mission
Last contact28 August 2009, 20:00 (2009-08-28UTC21) UTC
Orbital parameters
Reference systemSelenocentric
Semi-major axis1,758 kilometers (1,092 mi)
Eccentricity0.0
Periselene200 km (120 mi)
Aposelene200 km (120 mi)
Epoch19 May 2009
Lunar orbiter
Orbital insertion8 November 2008
Orbits3,400 at EOM
 

Chandrayaan-1 was India's first spacecraft launched to explore the Moon. It lifted off on 22 October 2008.[1] It was under the control of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was launched by a PSLV rocket. Chandrayaan 1 carried NASA's M1 Moon Mineralogy Mapper. The space mission was designed to last for two years.[2] In reality the mission lasted for 312 days. It mapped about 95% of the moon's surface.[3] On 29 August 2009 radio signals from Chandrayaan-I were lost.[4] The mission was considered ended at that point.[4] The lunar probe showed the presence of water on moon.

Goals[change | change source]

The mission had the following stated objectives, or goals:[5]

  • to design, develop, launch and orbit a spacecraft around the Moon using an Indian-made rocket
  • to conduct scientific experiments using instruments on the spacecraft:
    • to make a three-dimensional map of both the near and far sides of the Moon
    • for chemical and mineralogical mapping of the entire lunar surface at high spatial resolution, mapping particularly the chemical elements magnesium, aluminium, silicon, calcium, iron, titanium, radon, uranium, and thorium
  • to increase scientific knowledge
  • to test the impact of a sub-satellite (Moon Impact Probe – MIP) on the surface of the Moon to help prepare for future soft-landing missions

References[change | change source]

  1. Express News Service (2 August 2014). "IE Campus Now Home to Scale Model of PSLV-XL". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  2. Ruth Netting (13 May 2014). "NASA Space Missions: Chandrayaan 1". NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Archived from the original on 8 July 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  3. J. W. Boardman (2010). "A New Lunar Globe as Seen by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper..." (PDF). Brown University Planetary Geosciences Group. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  4. 4.0 4.1 ISRO Press Release (29 August 2009). "Chandrayaan-I Spacecraft Loses Radio Contact". ISRO. Archived from the original on 1 September 2009. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  5. "Objectives". ISRO. Archived from the original on 26 October 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2008.