On the 7th of September, Chandrayaan 2, carrying Vikram Lander, to study the surface of the Moon, failed to have a smooth landing.
Although the lander failed to land on the surface of the Moon, the Chandrayaan 2 mission is not a flop. According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) team, the Chandrayaan 2 orbiter is still in operation and will continue to study the Moon’s surface.
An official of the ISRO addressed the media said, “Only 5 % of the mission has been lost, Vikram the lander and Pragyan the rover, while the remaining 95 % that is the Chandrayaan 2 orbiter, is orbiting the moon successfully.”
The ISRO officials explained how the Chandrayaan 2 orbiter can take several pictures and send them to the ISRO with the help of its orbiter. The orbiter can take pictures for over a year, whereas the rover contained inside the lander had a lifespan of only 14 days.
Chandrayaan 2 is a mission worth 140 million dollars, the successful landing of which would make India the 4th country to land on the Moon, after Russia, the United States of America (U.S.A.,) and China.
An ISRO official addressed the media and said, “It is like suddenly somebody comes and gives you a newborn baby in your hands. Will you be able to hold without proper support? The baby will move this way, that way but we should hold it.”
K. Sivan, the Chairman of the ISRO, said they lost communication with the Vikram Lander and Pragyan, the rover, as it did not have a smooth landing on the Moon’s surface.
The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV MK III,) named Chandrayaan 2, consists of the Orbiter (2,379 kg, eight payloads), Vikram Lander (1,471 kgs, four payloads) and Pragyan, the rover inside the lander (27 kgs, two payloads.)
Chandrayaan 2 lifted on the 22nd of July.
Stay tuned for further updates.
