Chandrayaan - Mission Moon

All about Indian Mission to Moon

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Mile stones on the road to India’s first moon mission

Chandrayaan-I (Indian Lunar Craft-I) is an unmanned lunar exploration mission by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The mission includes a lunar orbiter as well as an impactor. The spacecraft will be launched by a modified version of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. The ISRO has identified Mylswamy Annadurai as Project Chief.

The spacecraft is scheduled for launch on October 22 with a window fixed between October 19 and October 28.

The scientific payload has a total mass of 90 kg and contains six Indian instruments and six foreign instruments.

The main mile stones in the development  the first Indian moon mission are as follows.

1992:

·        ISRO planned for the mission

·        The plan for the first moon mission discussed at the annual conference of the Indian academy Of Sciences

2000:
A task force 100 scientists constituted to work out the technical aspects of the mission
Membership to International Moon Exploration Club sought

2001:

·        Parliament’s approval given to go ahead with the mission

2003:

·        Agreement with European Space Agency for the technical support reached

2004:

·        Official declaration for sending the space craft for the exploration of the moon made

·        Work to fabricate the space craft started

2005:
Concurrently, the work started for the second moon mission

2006:
US agreed to give two instruments to be carried on board

2008:
Fabrication work and laboratory testing for various functions done

Launch formalities completed for Oct 20, 2008

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