Chandrayaan-2 Spacecraft Set To Release Lunar Lander ‘Vikram’ Today

On rendezvous with Moon, Chandrayaan-2 successfully performed the fifth and the final lunar-bound orbit manoeuvre on Sunday. The next operation is the separation of the Vikram lander from the orbiter today and the event is scheduled at 12:45 pm. Following separation, Vikram will perform two deorbit manoeuvres to prepare for its landing in the south polar region of the moon.

Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-2  is designed to function for one lunar day, which is equivalent to about 14 Earth days.

The ISRO has said subsequently the lander will separate from the Orbiter (on September 2) and enter into a 100 km X 30 km orbit around the Moon. It will then perform a series of complex braking maneuvers to soft land in the South polar region of the Moon on September 7, 2019.

The ISRO chairman K Sivan has said the proposed soft-landing on the Moon was going to be a "terrifying" moment as it is something ISRO has not done before, whereas LOI maneuver was successfully carried out during the Chandrayaan-1 mission.

The health of the spacecraft is being continuously monitored from the Mission Operations Complex at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network in Bengaluru with support from Indian Deep Space Network antennas at Bylalu, near Bengaluru, the space agency has said.

The Chandrayaan-2 satellite had begun its journey towards the moon leaving the earth's orbit in the dark hours on August 14, after a crucial Trans Lunar Insertion manoeuvre by ISRO to place the spacecraft on "Lunar Transfer Trajectory".

India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, GSLV MkIII-M1 had successfully launched the 3,840-kg Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft into the earth's orbit on July 22.

Following the landing, the rover 'Pragyan' will roll out from lander 'Vikram' and carry out experiments on the lunar surface for a period of one lunar day, equivalent to 14 earth days.

The mission life of the lander is also one lunar day, while the orbiter will continue its mission for a year. The orbiter carries eight scientific payloads for mapping the lunar surface and study the exosphere (outer atmosphere) of the Moon,while the lander carries three scientific payloads to conduct surface and subsurface science experiments.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The event is scheduled at 12.45 pm today.
• Chandrayaan-2 successfully performed the fifth and the final lunar-bound orbit manoeuvre on Sunday.
• Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-2  is designed to function for one lunar day.