On July 22, 2019, at 02:43 PM IST, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched Chandrayaan-2 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota, Nellore (Andhra Pradesh). Chandrayaan-2 was launched through Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk III) which is also referred to as Launch Vehicle Mark III (LVM III)- the mightiest rocket ever built by India. It is India’s second lunar exploration space mission after Chandrayaan-1.
Chandrayaan-2 was scheduled to be launched on July 15, 2019, but due to some technical difficulty while filling its cryogenic engine with Helium the launch was rescheduled before 56 minutes and 24 seconds of the launch.
The total cost of the mission Rs.978 Crore (as of July 2019)
- 603 crore in the space segment.
- 375 crore as launch cost of GSLV Mk III.
After the success of Chandrayaan-1, Chandrayaan-2 is launched to research more about the Moon. Chandrayaan-2 is a three-module lunar space mission and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III is used to carry out the mission. Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III has a lift-off weight of 3,850 Kg (Approx).
- Orbiter:
- It will revolve on Moon’s orbit and will keep a check on the lander and the rover
- Weight around 2,379 Kg.
- Vikram Lander
- Lander will make a soft landing on the moon’s surface and deploy the rover.
- Weight 1,444 Kg.
- Pragyan Rover
- Rover will collect soil and rock samples from the moon surface and will perform on-site chemical analysis.
- Weight 27 Kg.
Importance of Chandrayaan-2 mission.
ISRO Chief Dr. K. Shivan stated, “Our plan is to explore the unexplored regions closer to the Lunar South Pole.”
This mission will help us to better understand the origin and evolution of the Moon. This information gathered will help us to unravel the undiscovered facts about the Moon.
Why Chandrayaan-2 will take 48 days while other country reached in 4 days?
As we know that the distance between the Earth and the Moon is around 3,84,400 Km. In the year 1969, it took Apollo 11 around 4 days 6 hours and 45 minutes to get to the Moon surface. The estimated cost of the Apollo 11 mission was $355 million (Source: forbes.com) in the year 1969 which is approx. 2481.81 million as of 2019. On the other hand, the cost of Chandrayaan 2 is $136.77 million (Rs.978 Crore).
The main cause in the price differentiation comes due to the fuel cost. When a rocket travels directly from earth to moon it requires powerful rocket engine and more fuel to reach the Moon surface.
ISRO used the gravitational force of earth and moon to reach the South Pole of the Moon which takes less fuel but increases the travel time.
Why the South Pole?
- For billions of years, sunlight has not touched the South Pole of the Moon.
- 100 million tons of water
- Untapped sources of essential resources: Moon’s regolith has traces of Hydrogen, Ammonia, Methane, Sodium, Mercury, and Silver
- Pit stop for future space exploration.
Chandrayaan-2 is expected to land on the moon on September 7, 2019, and the expected landing site location on the Moon surface is Latitude 70° S and Longitude 20° E. After the successful landing of Chandrayaan-2 on the Moon surface India will become the first country to land on the South Pole of the Moon and will become the fourth country to land on the Moon’s surface after USA, China, and Russia.
