|
Chandrayaan-1 will release a 30-kg impactor on the moon. By examining the dust it kicks up, the spacecraft can gather information about the minerals and possible water on the lunar surface and verify the technology needed to make an accurate landing on the moon. India also intends to plant a national flag on the moon to show its presence. However, experts said it would be extremely difficult to do so.
Three steps
India's lunar exploration program consists of three steps. The first is to launch the Chandrayaan-1 probe to study the moon's magnetic field, carry out chemical research on its south pole and look for possible signs of water and life on the moon. The second is to launch the Chandrayaan-2 probe, which will collect samples from the moon so scientists can study the composition of the lunar surface and lunar rocks. The third is to send Indian astronauts to the moon by 2020.
The program formally began in June 2003, when India approved a plan to send its first lunar probe into space by 2008 with an investment of $74.5 million. To date, the Chandrayaan-1 program has cost $88.6 million, less than the amount spent by any other country with lunar ambitions. India has established the Indian Deep Space Network at Byalalu, 40 km from Bangalore, to track Chandrayaan-1 with an 18-meter antenna and a 32-meter antenna. This facility has enabled India to join the ranks of the few countries capable of monitoring deep space.
Chandrayaan-1 is a cube about 1.5 meters long on each side, weighing 1,304 kg at launch and 590 kg in its working orbit. It is designed for a two-year mission with 11 scientific instruments onboard. It is powered by a solar panel with a maximum output of 700 watts. A lithium-ion battery provides power when an eclipse occurs.
Chandrayaan-1's goal is to carry out high-resolution remote sensing of the moon for visible, near infrared, soft and hard X-ray frequencies. Its objectives include producing a three-dimensional map of the lunar surface and conducting chemical and mineralogical mapping of the entire lunar surface for the distribution of mineral and chemical elements such as magnesium, aluminum, silicon, calcium, iron, titanium, radon, uranium and thorium.
The Chandrayaan-1 mission aims to realize the coordination of scientific payloads, the satellite platform, the launch vehicle and ground support systems. Its major tasks also include the integration, testing and launch of the lunar probe, delivering it to the polar lunar orbit some 100 km above the moon, carrying out experiments in its orbit, communications with the probe, and data analysis and application.
Global reach
The country is eager to seek international cooperation so that it can progress quickly. Apart from Russia, a number of Western countries took part in the Chandrayaan-1 mission. Of the 11 instruments on Chandrayaan-1, five are from India, two from the United States, and one each from Germany, Britain, Sweden and Bulgaria. The instruments supplied by the United States are used to search for water, ice and mineral resources on the lunar surface.
After India carried out a series of nuclear tests in 1998, the United States and other Western countries imposed sanctions on India. As a result, India faced severe obstacles in developing space technology. In recent years, however, the United States, regarding India as a key strategic partner in Asia, has lifted its sanctions and offered technical assistance to India's space program.
|
