rahul1117kumar
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Today is the day that scripted history back in 2008 when Chandrayaan-1 became India’s first spacecraft to go beyond Earth’s orbit. India is preparing for the future and is doing well in terms of its space development initiatives. Amid criticism from many western nations for having a space program that needs a sizeable amount of money, India has marked itself on the global map and made the world know that it can create wonders!
Chandrayaan-1 is India’s first ever moon mission that was launched on this day in 2008 by ISRO. Chandrayaan-1 which means moon vehicle, was India’s first lunar probe and was launched by the Indian Space Research Organization in October 2008, and operated until August 2009. The then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced the project on course in his Independence Day speech on 15 August 2003. India launched the spacecraft using a PSLV-XL rocket, serial number C11 on 22 October 2008 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
This mission was however a big learning experience for ISRO and paved way for the Mangalyaan. The mission included a lunar orbiter and an impactor. The mission was a major boost to India’s space program as India researched and developed its own technology in order to explore the Moon. The vehicle was successfully inserted into lunar orbit on 8 November 2008. ISRO had designed the spacecraft with a mission life of 2 years. However, on 29 August 2009, communication with the spacecraft was suddenly lost. As per reports, despite serving for only 10 months out of the 24 months planned, it managed to complete 95% of its missions.
The idea of undertaking a mission to Moon was mooted in a meeting of the Indian Academy of Sciences in 1999 that was followed up by discussions in the Astronautical Society of India in 2000. Subsequently, Government of India approved ISRO’s proposal for the first Indian Moon Mission, called Chandrayaan-1 in November 2003. The estimated cost for the project was 3.86 billion (US$57 million). Before Chandrayaan, only few coountries like USA, Russia, Japan and China had launched moon missions. The remote sensing lunar satellite had a mass of 1,380 kg (3,040 lb) at launch and 675 kg (1,488 lb) in lunar orbit. The lunar mission carried five ISRO payloads and six payloads from other space agencies including NASA, ESA, and the Bulgarian Aerospace Agency, which were carried free of cost.
The spacecraft therefore was important if India wanted to be taken seriously as a space faring nation. Launched on-board the workhorse PSLV, the Chandrayaan had a successful lift off and successfully entered moon orbit on 8 November 2008. In the orbit around moon, it conducted experiments like high-resolution remote sensing of the moon in visible, near infrared (NIR), low energy X-rays and high-energy X-ray regions.
Being the one of a kind learning experience for ISRO, Chandrayaan’s most reamrkable contribution was the discovery of water on the Moon’s surface. As per reports, the spacecraft is credited with the confirmation of presence of water on the moon where the Moon Impact Probe (MIP) was detached from the orbiter and hard-landed on a predesignated spot on the moon’s surface. The MIP discovered water just before impact which was confirmed by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper which was an American payload also carried on the Chandrayaan.
This day that year: Chandrayaan-1 marks its 8th birthday, India proud of its first spacecraft to venture beyond Earth’s orbit - India.com
Chandrayaan-1 is India’s first ever moon mission that was launched on this day in 2008 by ISRO. Chandrayaan-1 which means moon vehicle, was India’s first lunar probe and was launched by the Indian Space Research Organization in October 2008, and operated until August 2009. The then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced the project on course in his Independence Day speech on 15 August 2003. India launched the spacecraft using a PSLV-XL rocket, serial number C11 on 22 October 2008 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
This mission was however a big learning experience for ISRO and paved way for the Mangalyaan. The mission included a lunar orbiter and an impactor. The mission was a major boost to India’s space program as India researched and developed its own technology in order to explore the Moon. The vehicle was successfully inserted into lunar orbit on 8 November 2008. ISRO had designed the spacecraft with a mission life of 2 years. However, on 29 August 2009, communication with the spacecraft was suddenly lost. As per reports, despite serving for only 10 months out of the 24 months planned, it managed to complete 95% of its missions.
The idea of undertaking a mission to Moon was mooted in a meeting of the Indian Academy of Sciences in 1999 that was followed up by discussions in the Astronautical Society of India in 2000. Subsequently, Government of India approved ISRO’s proposal for the first Indian Moon Mission, called Chandrayaan-1 in November 2003. The estimated cost for the project was 3.86 billion (US$57 million). Before Chandrayaan, only few coountries like USA, Russia, Japan and China had launched moon missions. The remote sensing lunar satellite had a mass of 1,380 kg (3,040 lb) at launch and 675 kg (1,488 lb) in lunar orbit. The lunar mission carried five ISRO payloads and six payloads from other space agencies including NASA, ESA, and the Bulgarian Aerospace Agency, which were carried free of cost.
The spacecraft therefore was important if India wanted to be taken seriously as a space faring nation. Launched on-board the workhorse PSLV, the Chandrayaan had a successful lift off and successfully entered moon orbit on 8 November 2008. In the orbit around moon, it conducted experiments like high-resolution remote sensing of the moon in visible, near infrared (NIR), low energy X-rays and high-energy X-ray regions.
Being the one of a kind learning experience for ISRO, Chandrayaan’s most reamrkable contribution was the discovery of water on the Moon’s surface. As per reports, the spacecraft is credited with the confirmation of presence of water on the moon where the Moon Impact Probe (MIP) was detached from the orbiter and hard-landed on a predesignated spot on the moon’s surface. The MIP discovered water just before impact which was confirmed by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper which was an American payload also carried on the Chandrayaan.
This day that year: Chandrayaan-1 marks its 8th birthday, India proud of its first spacecraft to venture beyond Earth’s orbit - India.com
