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Chandrayaan - 1 News and Discussions
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Vast scope for research on moon: ISRO scientist
India, through Chandrayaan, was the pioneer in discovering existence of water on moon and similarly there was possibility of existence of minerals,including titanium , on it, Chandrayaan Project Director Mylswamy Annadurai said here.
On Chandrayaan-II, he said the Rs 425-crore project will be launched in 2012-13 with an orbiter that will take the Chandrayaan-I orbit and two motorised robots which would be soft landed on the moon.
To a question, he said Chandrayaan-II will have more indigenous components and its budget is less like the first mission, compared to smilar missions of other countries.
India, through Chandrayaan, was the pioneer in discovering existence of water on moon and similarly there was possibility of existence of minerals,including titanium , on it, Chandrayaan Project Director Mylswamy Annadurai said here.
On Chandrayaan-II, he said the Rs 425-crore project will be launched in 2012-13 with an orbiter that will take the Chandrayaan-I orbit and two motorised robots which would be soft landed on the moon.
To a question, he said Chandrayaan-II will have more indigenous components and its budget is less like the first mission, compared to smilar missions of other countries.
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Invaluable lessons from Chandrayaan-I’
Insisting that many lessons learnt from Chandrayaan-I would prove invaluable during subsequent missions, Mylswamy Annadurai, Project Director of the ISRO Satellite Centre, on Monday said Chandrayaan-II would land two rovers on the Moon’s surface by 2013.
“Chandrayaan-I demonstrates a quantum jump in systems engineering practices in the country. There have been 17 previous moon missions and thanks to Chandrayaan, we have conclusive proof for the presence of water on the surface of the Moon,” Dr. Annadurai said. “We not only know that there is water, we now know the process through which it is formed.” He was speaking at the inaugural session of a three-day international conference on Advances in Mechanical and Building Sciences in the 3rd Millennia organised at the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) here.
While the Moon impact probe landing an Indian flag on the lunar surface was a matter of pride, it was not just about the abstract concepts of space exploration. “Spinoff technologies which will help us identify the precise location of water in places like Rajasthan are a direct result of the Moon mission,” Dr. Annadurai said.
Going to the Moon was one thing, but giving people hope of a better tomorrow was more important. “Engineers who translate science into everyday reality for the community have a greater responsibility,” he said. Stressing the need for sustainable and equitable growth, Chancellor G. Viswanathan said rapid development led to catastrophic consequences. “Technology has to be made affordable and accessible. There has to be a push towards cleaner, safer and cost-effective solutions.”
Speaking about his experience in managing low-grade, coal-fired thermal stations, A.R. Ansari, Chairman and Managing Director, Neyveli Lignite Corporation, said: “Mining is a destructive industry. We do spoil the Earth. But we need power to drive our economy. We are diversifying into wind and hydel power.”
Already 15-20 acres was “reclaimed” in Neyveli and fodder grown in the land was being tested on cattle to ensure that there were no residual heavy metal deposits.
“Technology has evolved. We have reached the Moon. It is social obligation which has to evolve,” Mr. Ansari said.
P.S. Subramanyam, scientist and director, Aeronautical Development Agency, spoke about the journey of India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) fighter project and the difficulties it went through because of international sanctions and the low technological base from which the project started.
“There was a time when it was said India could never master such technology or that we cannot work on materials like composites.” Now, at a time of joint collaboration with the Russians on building a fifth generation fighter aircraft, “they are looking to us for expertise on composites.”
Mr. Subramanyam said: “Though we are slowly becoming self-reliant, we still have to run faster to catch up with the world.” Some of the broad themes to be covered at the conference are heat transfer and fluid flow, automotive engineering and alternative fuels, nano-materials and composites, computer-aided design, and energy and environmental engineering.
The Hindu : News / National : ‘Invaluable lessons from Chandrayaan-I’
Insisting that many lessons learnt from Chandrayaan-I would prove invaluable during subsequent missions, Mylswamy Annadurai, Project Director of the ISRO Satellite Centre, on Monday said Chandrayaan-II would land two rovers on the Moon’s surface by 2013.
“Chandrayaan-I demonstrates a quantum jump in systems engineering practices in the country. There have been 17 previous moon missions and thanks to Chandrayaan, we have conclusive proof for the presence of water on the surface of the Moon,” Dr. Annadurai said. “We not only know that there is water, we now know the process through which it is formed.” He was speaking at the inaugural session of a three-day international conference on Advances in Mechanical and Building Sciences in the 3rd Millennia organised at the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) here.
While the Moon impact probe landing an Indian flag on the lunar surface was a matter of pride, it was not just about the abstract concepts of space exploration. “Spinoff technologies which will help us identify the precise location of water in places like Rajasthan are a direct result of the Moon mission,” Dr. Annadurai said.
Going to the Moon was one thing, but giving people hope of a better tomorrow was more important. “Engineers who translate science into everyday reality for the community have a greater responsibility,” he said. Stressing the need for sustainable and equitable growth, Chancellor G. Viswanathan said rapid development led to catastrophic consequences. “Technology has to be made affordable and accessible. There has to be a push towards cleaner, safer and cost-effective solutions.”
Speaking about his experience in managing low-grade, coal-fired thermal stations, A.R. Ansari, Chairman and Managing Director, Neyveli Lignite Corporation, said: “Mining is a destructive industry. We do spoil the Earth. But we need power to drive our economy. We are diversifying into wind and hydel power.”
Already 15-20 acres was “reclaimed” in Neyveli and fodder grown in the land was being tested on cattle to ensure that there were no residual heavy metal deposits.
“Technology has evolved. We have reached the Moon. It is social obligation which has to evolve,” Mr. Ansari said.
P.S. Subramanyam, scientist and director, Aeronautical Development Agency, spoke about the journey of India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) fighter project and the difficulties it went through because of international sanctions and the low technological base from which the project started.
“There was a time when it was said India could never master such technology or that we cannot work on materials like composites.” Now, at a time of joint collaboration with the Russians on building a fifth generation fighter aircraft, “they are looking to us for expertise on composites.”
Mr. Subramanyam said: “Though we are slowly becoming self-reliant, we still have to run faster to catch up with the world.” Some of the broad themes to be covered at the conference are heat transfer and fluid flow, automotive engineering and alternative fuels, nano-materials and composites, computer-aided design, and energy and environmental engineering.
The Hindu : News / National : ‘Invaluable lessons from Chandrayaan-I’
ppgj
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interesting. also brings back the incident involving the germans. india was importing special steel for use in missles. post sanctions they were banned. india mastered it and when germans came back to sell indians responded - no, thanks. if you need we can export.
great to see india on the move.
LETHALFORCE
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http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/02/05/moon-base-alpha/
Moon Base Alpha: If Not U.S., Then Who?
Forty years ago the U.S. raced to plant the first foot on the moon. Now, as India, Russia, South Korea and China compete to return for further exploration, the U.S has all but dropped out -- and even Buzz Aldrin thinks that may be okay.
If the U.S. won’t be going to the moon again anytime soon, who is?
Forty years ago the U.S. raced to plant the first foot on the moon. Now, as India, Russia, South Korea and China compete to return for further exploration, the U.S has all but dropped out -- and even Buzz Aldrin thinks that may be OK.
Aldrin, speaking to FoxNews.com, says the next step for NASA should be to create a long-term plan for more ambitious efforts -- visiting Mars or a nearby asteroid -- aided by robotics and astronauts from other countries. "It's much better to take our experience and aid other countries in conducting their races," says Aldrin.
But many argue that letting other countries win the race to return is akin to admitting failure. Beyond inspiring millions with the magnitude of what Americans are capable of, the race to the moon was viewed as essential to proving scientific competition for the country.
"We're at a very embarrassing moment," says Jeffrey Manber, the author of "Selling Peace," a book that details Russian-American cooperation in space. "Space policy of the last several decades has been a failure. We'll be dependent on Russia for the next 5 to 7 years to fly to and from the International Space Station. And we got here because we stayed too long with the space shuttle program."
A NASA artist's rendering of possible activities during future space exploration missions, at a manned lunar base.
related links
*
Will Robonaut Boldly Go Where NASA Won't?
*
Space Agency to Ignore Space, Study Climate Change
*
White House Confirms Course Change for NASA
NASA had been betting on the Constellation program: the new Orion spacecraft, the Ares rocket and the Altair lunar lander. Testing has already started on Orion at the Plum Brook Station in Ohio. But work over the past 5 to 6 years has come to a standstill, and future space missions are uncertain following news that President Barack Obama is canceling Constellation. (Grey Hautaluoma, a NASA spokesman, told FoxNews.com that the agency cannot comment for this story while it develops an implementation plan for the president's new budget.)
It's a cantankerous issue, mostly because after those famous first steps on July 20, 1969, no one expected such little progress in space exploration. The U.S. has visited the moon six times in total, including the first landing where Armstrong famously flubbed his pre-scripted line -- he was supposed to say one small step for a man (meaning himself) but said a small step for man instead.
The last visit took place in 1972 with Apollo 17 -- famous for bringing back moon rocks.
Competition in Space
Americans are divided on the current space race with China, Russia, South Korea and India. Many FoxNews.com readers expressed outrage that the U.S. would abandon its efforts to remain competitive in space exploration, while many believe our tax dollars would be better spent creating new jobs.
Jamie Larson, who works for a family insurance business in Fergus Falls, Minn., says he's a sci-fi fan in favor of the U.S. making a return trip to the moon -- but wonders if it's feasible or even practical.
"As an American I believe we need to be on the forefront of space exploration, whether it be returning to the Moon or a Mars landing," he told FoxNews.com. "It's important that we are able to keep a country like China from claiming the moon as theirs. If anything, it's all ours."
Jon Bacon, a representative for Wilson Electronics, thinks a return trip is too expensive for the return on investment. And some people aren't so sure there even is a space race to the moon.
"The race to the Moon is one the United States has already won," says John M. Logsdon, former director of the Space Policy Institute, professor at George Washington University, and a key NASA advisor. "The stated target for Russia to send people to the Moon is 2025 and for China there is no formal target, but 2030 is a reasonable estimate. The United States can, and probably will, be back to the moon before then. Much more likely is a global cooperative effort to explore space beyond low-Earth orbit."
Manber disagrees, saying China will likely land on the moon before any other country, for exploration reasons and as a symbolic act. That country, he says, has 200,000 engineers in its space program and long-term goals for space. America, meanwhile, runs what Manber calls "sprints" that are more reactionary and tend to be more about proving our international prowess. Russian plans lie somewhere in between.
"The Russians are the leaders in low-Earth-orbit space today," says Manber, explaining that the former Soviet Union continued to provide crew and cargo to the space station after the Challenger disaster. According to Manber, the Russians also have the best transportation infrastructure.
Buzz Aldrin is in favor of a concentrated, global effort to reach Mars -- or more specifically, one of the moons of Mars where an international delegation would set up a fueling depot. He says Russia, who is planning a Mars mission in the next 20 years, is already ahead of the U.S. in terms of technical know-how.
"I doubt Russia would want to send cosmonauts to the moon, it would indicate how far behind they are," says Aldrin. "They are very anxious about being first to Mars as evidenced by their missions to Phobos," one of the two moons surrounding Mars.
"In the past, Aldrin has been critical of the space shuttle program and current plans with NASA's Orion and Altair lunar landers, stating to FoxNews.com that NASA should have developed two midsize rockets instead of one small and one large, making them less flexible for missions.
Manber agrees with Aldrin that the next step is for the U.S. to move to an international mindset, equating the current model with NASA to a centralist government that mandates every step. With better cooperation, he says, it might be possible to set up lunar colonies or mine for minerals.
"The auto industry is international, the aviation industry is international," says Manber, noting that a cross-country flight in the U.S. involves a plane with parts developed in several countries. "Somehow we've come to the notion that the space program is different."
Obama: Privatizing Space?
It's unclear from recent statements whether President Obama is entirely in favor of privatizing space exploration -- a capitalistic approach that would not match up with other policies. However, he has stated that a visit to an asteroid could provide better scientific findings.
"I applaud the Obama administration's policy," says Manber, saying the proper next steps might be to go to an asteroid or beyond our own orbit. "We've been to the moon six times. If we go back, we should do it as Americans -- meaning, in a private-sector way. South Korea's space port and capsules are being designed by the Russians. This is a different time and a different era."
Manber says the cold war ended decades ago, so any new space programs should have clear financial and human exploration benefits, not just to prove the trip is still possible.
"The only reason to go back to the moon is to exploit more abundant resources like helium-3 (used for nuclear fuel research and rare on earth), make an observatory, or true colonization," says Manber.
In the end, economies of scale do make another moon landing an interesting proposition.
"China will become the Wal-Mart of space, lowering the cost of space operations," says Manber. "If we try to compete with that, the results will be the same as if we try to compete on basic manufacturing."
Moon Base Alpha: If Not U.S., Then Who?
Forty years ago the U.S. raced to plant the first foot on the moon. Now, as India, Russia, South Korea and China compete to return for further exploration, the U.S has all but dropped out -- and even Buzz Aldrin thinks that may be okay.
If the U.S. won’t be going to the moon again anytime soon, who is?
Forty years ago the U.S. raced to plant the first foot on the moon. Now, as India, Russia, South Korea and China compete to return for further exploration, the U.S has all but dropped out -- and even Buzz Aldrin thinks that may be OK.
Aldrin, speaking to FoxNews.com, says the next step for NASA should be to create a long-term plan for more ambitious efforts -- visiting Mars or a nearby asteroid -- aided by robotics and astronauts from other countries. "It's much better to take our experience and aid other countries in conducting their races," says Aldrin.
But many argue that letting other countries win the race to return is akin to admitting failure. Beyond inspiring millions with the magnitude of what Americans are capable of, the race to the moon was viewed as essential to proving scientific competition for the country.
"We're at a very embarrassing moment," says Jeffrey Manber, the author of "Selling Peace," a book that details Russian-American cooperation in space. "Space policy of the last several decades has been a failure. We'll be dependent on Russia for the next 5 to 7 years to fly to and from the International Space Station. And we got here because we stayed too long with the space shuttle program."
A NASA artist's rendering of possible activities during future space exploration missions, at a manned lunar base.
related links
*
Will Robonaut Boldly Go Where NASA Won't?
*
Space Agency to Ignore Space, Study Climate Change
*
White House Confirms Course Change for NASA
NASA had been betting on the Constellation program: the new Orion spacecraft, the Ares rocket and the Altair lunar lander. Testing has already started on Orion at the Plum Brook Station in Ohio. But work over the past 5 to 6 years has come to a standstill, and future space missions are uncertain following news that President Barack Obama is canceling Constellation. (Grey Hautaluoma, a NASA spokesman, told FoxNews.com that the agency cannot comment for this story while it develops an implementation plan for the president's new budget.)
It's a cantankerous issue, mostly because after those famous first steps on July 20, 1969, no one expected such little progress in space exploration. The U.S. has visited the moon six times in total, including the first landing where Armstrong famously flubbed his pre-scripted line -- he was supposed to say one small step for a man (meaning himself) but said a small step for man instead.
The last visit took place in 1972 with Apollo 17 -- famous for bringing back moon rocks.
Competition in Space
Americans are divided on the current space race with China, Russia, South Korea and India. Many FoxNews.com readers expressed outrage that the U.S. would abandon its efforts to remain competitive in space exploration, while many believe our tax dollars would be better spent creating new jobs.
Jamie Larson, who works for a family insurance business in Fergus Falls, Minn., says he's a sci-fi fan in favor of the U.S. making a return trip to the moon -- but wonders if it's feasible or even practical.
"As an American I believe we need to be on the forefront of space exploration, whether it be returning to the Moon or a Mars landing," he told FoxNews.com. "It's important that we are able to keep a country like China from claiming the moon as theirs. If anything, it's all ours."
Jon Bacon, a representative for Wilson Electronics, thinks a return trip is too expensive for the return on investment. And some people aren't so sure there even is a space race to the moon.
"The race to the Moon is one the United States has already won," says John M. Logsdon, former director of the Space Policy Institute, professor at George Washington University, and a key NASA advisor. "The stated target for Russia to send people to the Moon is 2025 and for China there is no formal target, but 2030 is a reasonable estimate. The United States can, and probably will, be back to the moon before then. Much more likely is a global cooperative effort to explore space beyond low-Earth orbit."
Manber disagrees, saying China will likely land on the moon before any other country, for exploration reasons and as a symbolic act. That country, he says, has 200,000 engineers in its space program and long-term goals for space. America, meanwhile, runs what Manber calls "sprints" that are more reactionary and tend to be more about proving our international prowess. Russian plans lie somewhere in between.
"The Russians are the leaders in low-Earth-orbit space today," says Manber, explaining that the former Soviet Union continued to provide crew and cargo to the space station after the Challenger disaster. According to Manber, the Russians also have the best transportation infrastructure.
Buzz Aldrin is in favor of a concentrated, global effort to reach Mars -- or more specifically, one of the moons of Mars where an international delegation would set up a fueling depot. He says Russia, who is planning a Mars mission in the next 20 years, is already ahead of the U.S. in terms of technical know-how.
"I doubt Russia would want to send cosmonauts to the moon, it would indicate how far behind they are," says Aldrin. "They are very anxious about being first to Mars as evidenced by their missions to Phobos," one of the two moons surrounding Mars.
"In the past, Aldrin has been critical of the space shuttle program and current plans with NASA's Orion and Altair lunar landers, stating to FoxNews.com that NASA should have developed two midsize rockets instead of one small and one large, making them less flexible for missions.
Manber agrees with Aldrin that the next step is for the U.S. to move to an international mindset, equating the current model with NASA to a centralist government that mandates every step. With better cooperation, he says, it might be possible to set up lunar colonies or mine for minerals.
"The auto industry is international, the aviation industry is international," says Manber, noting that a cross-country flight in the U.S. involves a plane with parts developed in several countries. "Somehow we've come to the notion that the space program is different."
Obama: Privatizing Space?
It's unclear from recent statements whether President Obama is entirely in favor of privatizing space exploration -- a capitalistic approach that would not match up with other policies. However, he has stated that a visit to an asteroid could provide better scientific findings.
"I applaud the Obama administration's policy," says Manber, saying the proper next steps might be to go to an asteroid or beyond our own orbit. "We've been to the moon six times. If we go back, we should do it as Americans -- meaning, in a private-sector way. South Korea's space port and capsules are being designed by the Russians. This is a different time and a different era."
Manber says the cold war ended decades ago, so any new space programs should have clear financial and human exploration benefits, not just to prove the trip is still possible.
"The only reason to go back to the moon is to exploit more abundant resources like helium-3 (used for nuclear fuel research and rare on earth), make an observatory, or true colonization," says Manber.
In the end, economies of scale do make another moon landing an interesting proposition.
"China will become the Wal-Mart of space, lowering the cost of space operations," says Manber. "If we try to compete with that, the results will be the same as if we try to compete on basic manufacturing."
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Chandrayaan-1 also found new types of rocks - India - The Times of India
AHMEDABAD: Yet another feather has been added to the cap of India’s Rs 386-crore lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1; it has not only discovered water
molecules but also new types of rocks. This was announced on Monday by Carle Pieters, principal investigator of Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3), a Nasa payload on board Chandrayaan-1 which detected water molecules along with indigenous Moon Impact Probe and Hyper Spectral Imager.
He was addressing scientists associated with Indian moon mission which won international acclaims and awards at the sixth Chandrayaan-1 scientific meeting, organised by Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), an autonomous organisation, under Isro. The scientific data from Chandrayaan-1 is being analysed at PRL.
Pieters said: "M3 has discovered new rock types which are very small. They are unusual and we are in the process of analysing them." Significantly, this discovery was made on the far side of the moon. Former Isro chiefs — K Kasturirangan, Madhavan Nair and U R Rao and a number of foreign delegates including a few associated with the Japanese mission to the moon, Kaguya, were present at the meeting which will end on Tuesday.
Pieters told TOI the type of minerals found in the new type of rocks is common. "But what is surprising is that their combination is uncommon. This is a very valuable piece of information," she said, adding geo chemists could analyse the data.
A scientist attached to Ahmedabad-based Space Applications Centre, A S Arya, told the gathering that an analysis of the high resolution imagery of the indigenous terrain mapping camera (TMC) has resulted in identifying "lunar tubes." He said the opinion among a section of scientists is that these "tubes" could be utilised for a potential human settlement in future. These tubes could provide much-needed protection to a human colony on the moon
AHMEDABAD: Yet another feather has been added to the cap of India’s Rs 386-crore lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1; it has not only discovered water
molecules but also new types of rocks. This was announced on Monday by Carle Pieters, principal investigator of Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3), a Nasa payload on board Chandrayaan-1 which detected water molecules along with indigenous Moon Impact Probe and Hyper Spectral Imager.
He was addressing scientists associated with Indian moon mission which won international acclaims and awards at the sixth Chandrayaan-1 scientific meeting, organised by Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), an autonomous organisation, under Isro. The scientific data from Chandrayaan-1 is being analysed at PRL.
Pieters said: "M3 has discovered new rock types which are very small. They are unusual and we are in the process of analysing them." Significantly, this discovery was made on the far side of the moon. Former Isro chiefs — K Kasturirangan, Madhavan Nair and U R Rao and a number of foreign delegates including a few associated with the Japanese mission to the moon, Kaguya, were present at the meeting which will end on Tuesday.
Pieters told TOI the type of minerals found in the new type of rocks is common. "But what is surprising is that their combination is uncommon. This is a very valuable piece of information," she said, adding geo chemists could analyse the data.
A scientist attached to Ahmedabad-based Space Applications Centre, A S Arya, told the gathering that an analysis of the high resolution imagery of the indigenous terrain mapping camera (TMC) has resulted in identifying "lunar tubes." He said the opinion among a section of scientists is that these "tubes" could be utilised for a potential human settlement in future. These tubes could provide much-needed protection to a human colony on the moon
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Indian scientists discover a large cave on the Moon- Politics/Nation-News-The Economic Times
AHMEDABAD: Human habitation or a permanent base on the Moon could soon be a reality. After the discovery of water, scientists analysing the data of
Chandrayaan-I have now found a large cave on the lunar surface, which could possibly act as a natural shelter for humans.
“We have discovered a natural tunnel near the equator of the Moon which is even bigger than that discovered by the Japanese,” said AS Arya, scientist SF of Ahmedabad-based Space Application Centre (SAC). “This is a empty volcanic tube, measuring about two kilometer in length and 360 meters in width. This could be a potential site for human settlement on moon,” Mr Arya told ET on the sidelines of a two-day conference at Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) on Monday. Mr Arya will also be presenting a paper on the discovery at the LPC (Lunar and Planetary Science Conference) scheduled to be held at Houston from March 1-5.
“This is a horizontal cave and is much bigger than the Japanese discovery,” he said referring to the recent findings by a Japanese spacecraft, Kaguya. This spacecraft had discovered a tunnel which was 65 m wide and 80 m deep in the volcanic Marius hill range on the lunar surface. “This finding would go a long way in India’s quest to set up a permanent base on the Moon. Such wide tunnels could sustain underground lunar outposts, while the ceilings could help protect astronauts from space radiation, meteoroid impacts and wild temperature fluctuations (up 300 degree centrigrade) that is commonplace on the lunar surface,” Mr Arya explained.
The finding comes as a shot in the arm for the Indian scientists after Chandrayaan-I had recently discovered water on the Moon. There are similar lava tubes on Earth. They are formed when molten rock, flowing from a volcanic eruption, cools and hardens on top while the lava underneath continues to flow. If the lava drains completely, a cavern is left. Scientists have long suspected that such rock formations existed on the moon, but lacked evidence until now.
According to scientists, Lunar lava tubes are a potentially important location for a future lunar base, whether for local exploration and development, or as an outpost to serve exploration beyond the moon. Moreover, the lunar environment neither has an atmosphere nor a magnetic field, so the radiation from the sun can directly affect humans and severely damage our cells. So, on the lunar surface, one needs to get into areas where you can avoid radiation.
“The findings happened while the data from the TMC (Terrain Mapping Camera) was being analysed,” the scientist said. The TMC was one of the five Indian payload that was onboard Chandrayaan-I. “Moreover, this particular cave is situated near the equator where most of the lunar missions have landed so far,” he said.
AHMEDABAD: Human habitation or a permanent base on the Moon could soon be a reality. After the discovery of water, scientists analysing the data of
Chandrayaan-I have now found a large cave on the lunar surface, which could possibly act as a natural shelter for humans.
“We have discovered a natural tunnel near the equator of the Moon which is even bigger than that discovered by the Japanese,” said AS Arya, scientist SF of Ahmedabad-based Space Application Centre (SAC). “This is a empty volcanic tube, measuring about two kilometer in length and 360 meters in width. This could be a potential site for human settlement on moon,” Mr Arya told ET on the sidelines of a two-day conference at Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) on Monday. Mr Arya will also be presenting a paper on the discovery at the LPC (Lunar and Planetary Science Conference) scheduled to be held at Houston from March 1-5.
“This is a horizontal cave and is much bigger than the Japanese discovery,” he said referring to the recent findings by a Japanese spacecraft, Kaguya. This spacecraft had discovered a tunnel which was 65 m wide and 80 m deep in the volcanic Marius hill range on the lunar surface. “This finding would go a long way in India’s quest to set up a permanent base on the Moon. Such wide tunnels could sustain underground lunar outposts, while the ceilings could help protect astronauts from space radiation, meteoroid impacts and wild temperature fluctuations (up 300 degree centrigrade) that is commonplace on the lunar surface,” Mr Arya explained.
The finding comes as a shot in the arm for the Indian scientists after Chandrayaan-I had recently discovered water on the Moon. There are similar lava tubes on Earth. They are formed when molten rock, flowing from a volcanic eruption, cools and hardens on top while the lava underneath continues to flow. If the lava drains completely, a cavern is left. Scientists have long suspected that such rock formations existed on the moon, but lacked evidence until now.
According to scientists, Lunar lava tubes are a potentially important location for a future lunar base, whether for local exploration and development, or as an outpost to serve exploration beyond the moon. Moreover, the lunar environment neither has an atmosphere nor a magnetic field, so the radiation from the sun can directly affect humans and severely damage our cells. So, on the lunar surface, one needs to get into areas where you can avoid radiation.
“The findings happened while the data from the TMC (Terrain Mapping Camera) was being analysed,” the scientist said. The TMC was one of the five Indian payload that was onboard Chandrayaan-I. “Moreover, this particular cave is situated near the equator where most of the lunar missions have landed so far,” he said.
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3-D moon atlas will soon be available
DNA
Tuesday, February 9, 2010 11:21 IST
Ahmedabad: A lot of science was brought out and discussed on a cloudy Monday, in the sixth science meeting on the findings of Chandrayaan-1 at the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad. The success story of the moon mission echoed vibrantly in the institute designed by the original dreamer Vikram Sarabhai, who was repeatedly mentioned by scientists in their inaugural address.
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Attended by planning commission member K Kasturirangan, former chairman of ISRO G Madhavan Nair, PRL director JN Goswami and SAC director RR Navalgund, the two-day science meeting is one of the several attempts to analyse and make available the "several terabytes" worth of data gathered by the satellite on the mission. A 3-D atlas of the moon will be made available in the next six months.
In addition to the scientific data, Kasturirangan said the project has succeeded in igniting a million minds. "There are very few projects which succeed in doing this. I wish there are a billion minds that get ignited. We need a planetary research society to bring youngsters into the fold of science. Mars is the next target we hope to conquer by 2015, looking for extraterrestrial life," he said.
And if the celebrations are being taken up with aplomb, the scientists do not dither to admit their failures too. Nair candidly admitted that some functions of the mission failed, because of which they have been able to realise 95% of the set objectives of the mission. However, he asserted that one should not be disappointed as what has been achieved is also quite an achievement.
"Travelling 3,000 km into space is commendable, and if the data generated is seen, one will realise that the experiment has been handled very maturely," Dr Nair said.
3-D moon atlas will soon be available - dnaindia.com
DNA
Tuesday, February 9, 2010 11:21 IST
Ahmedabad: A lot of science was brought out and discussed on a cloudy Monday, in the sixth science meeting on the findings of Chandrayaan-1 at the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad. The success story of the moon mission echoed vibrantly in the institute designed by the original dreamer Vikram Sarabhai, who was repeatedly mentioned by scientists in their inaugural address.
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Attended by planning commission member K Kasturirangan, former chairman of ISRO G Madhavan Nair, PRL director JN Goswami and SAC director RR Navalgund, the two-day science meeting is one of the several attempts to analyse and make available the "several terabytes" worth of data gathered by the satellite on the mission. A 3-D atlas of the moon will be made available in the next six months.
In addition to the scientific data, Kasturirangan said the project has succeeded in igniting a million minds. "There are very few projects which succeed in doing this. I wish there are a billion minds that get ignited. We need a planetary research society to bring youngsters into the fold of science. Mars is the next target we hope to conquer by 2015, looking for extraterrestrial life," he said.
And if the celebrations are being taken up with aplomb, the scientists do not dither to admit their failures too. Nair candidly admitted that some functions of the mission failed, because of which they have been able to realise 95% of the set objectives of the mission. However, he asserted that one should not be disappointed as what has been achieved is also quite an achievement.
"Travelling 3,000 km into space is commendable, and if the data generated is seen, one will realise that the experiment has been handled very maturely," Dr Nair said.
3-D moon atlas will soon be available - dnaindia.com
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NASA radar on Chandrayaan-I detects ice deposits on moon
STAFF WRITER 6:11 HRS ISTLalit K Jha
Washington, Mar 2 (PTI) Scientists have detected more than 40 ice-filled craters in the moon's North Pole using data from a NASA radar that flew aboard India's Chandrayaan-I.
NASA's Mini-SAR instrument, lightweight, synthetic aperture radar, found more than 40 small craters with water ice. The craters range in size from 2 to 15 km in diameter.
The finding would give future missions a new target to further explore and exploit, a NASA statement said, adding it is estimated that there could be at least 600 million metric tons of water ice in the craters.
"The emerging picture from the multiple measurements and resulting data of the instruments on lunar missions indicates that water creation, migration, deposition and retention are occurring on the moon," Paul Spudis, principal investigator of the Mini-SAR experiment at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, said yesterday.
http://www.ptinews.com/news/542929_NASA-radar-on-Chandrayaan-I-detects-ice-deposits-on-moon
STAFF WRITER 6:11 HRS ISTLalit K Jha
Washington, Mar 2 (PTI) Scientists have detected more than 40 ice-filled craters in the moon's North Pole using data from a NASA radar that flew aboard India's Chandrayaan-I.
NASA's Mini-SAR instrument, lightweight, synthetic aperture radar, found more than 40 small craters with water ice. The craters range in size from 2 to 15 km in diameter.
The finding would give future missions a new target to further explore and exploit, a NASA statement said, adding it is estimated that there could be at least 600 million metric tons of water ice in the craters.
"The emerging picture from the multiple measurements and resulting data of the instruments on lunar missions indicates that water creation, migration, deposition and retention are occurring on the moon," Paul Spudis, principal investigator of the Mini-SAR experiment at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, said yesterday.
http://www.ptinews.com/news/542929_NASA-radar-on-Chandrayaan-I-detects-ice-deposits-on-moon
nandu
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Chandrayaan captures tunnels below moon's surface
India's Chandrayaan-1 mission has identified tunnels below the surface of the moon; a top space scientist has said and maintained that human habitation could be possible in those "tubes" in the future.
Director of Indian Space Research Organisation's Space Applications Centre based in Ahmedabad, Dr Ranganath R Navalgund said on Wednesday the terrain mapping camera, an Indian instrument on the lunar mission, has found "new types of rocks" and hollow tunnels.
These tubes were formed after the flow of lava from volcanoes, he contended.
"Tubes which are hollow have been found below the surface of the moon. Such things have also been identified from the Chandrayaan mission ... from terrain mapping camera ... which was our own instrument".
"Now those tunnels which have not collapsed ... which are below the surface of the moon and which have been identified ... are somewhat interesting features," Navalgund told reporters here.
"Not today, not tomorrow but in years to come, they (those tunnels) could be possible areas where one could have certain habitation....” he said, adding that scientists were currently investigating this finding.
http://www.brahmand.com/news/Chandrayaan-captures-tunnels-below-moons-surface/3576/1/12.html
India's Chandrayaan-1 mission has identified tunnels below the surface of the moon; a top space scientist has said and maintained that human habitation could be possible in those "tubes" in the future.
Director of Indian Space Research Organisation's Space Applications Centre based in Ahmedabad, Dr Ranganath R Navalgund said on Wednesday the terrain mapping camera, an Indian instrument on the lunar mission, has found "new types of rocks" and hollow tunnels.
These tubes were formed after the flow of lava from volcanoes, he contended.
"Tubes which are hollow have been found below the surface of the moon. Such things have also been identified from the Chandrayaan mission ... from terrain mapping camera ... which was our own instrument".
"Now those tunnels which have not collapsed ... which are below the surface of the moon and which have been identified ... are somewhat interesting features," Navalgund told reporters here.
"Not today, not tomorrow but in years to come, they (those tunnels) could be possible areas where one could have certain habitation....” he said, adding that scientists were currently investigating this finding.
http://www.brahmand.com/news/Chandrayaan-captures-tunnels-below-moons-surface/3576/1/12.html
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