India inserts Chandrayaan-1 into Moon orbit

William Atkins
Saturday, 08 November 2008 22:19

Science - Space

The Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft carries eleven scientific instruments, including two from the United States, three from the European Space Agency, and one from Bulgaria. The remaining five are designed and developed by various ISRO operated agencies.

The ISRO mission objectives are:

•    To orbit around the Moon.
•    To develop a three-dimensional atlas of both the near- and far-side of the Moon.
•    To conduct chemical and mineralogical mapping of the entire lunar surface.
•    To impact a Moon Impact Probe onto the surface on the Moon as a test for a future soft landing mission.

Specifically, the ISRO mission is expected to produce high-resolution mineralogical and chemical images of the north and south polar regions of the Moon, which are completely darkened (devoid of sunlight).

The mission will also look for surface or sub-surface water-ice on the Moon, specially at the lunar poles.

The spacecraft will investigate rocks from the lunar highlands, and craters on the central uplands.

The data gathered by the Indian spacecraft is expected to provide new information on the origin and evolution of the Moon.

Additional information on the moon mission of the Indians appears on The Planetary Society’s website “Chandrayaan-1.”