Chandrayaan II

[rahulrds1]

ISRO rethinks on Chandrayaan-II experiments - India - NEWS - The Times of India

ISRO rethinks on Chandrayaan-II experiments
TNN 26 September 2009, 04:00am IST

BANGALORE: The discovery of water molecules on Moon by Chandrayaan-1 is all set to alter the course of Chandrayaan-2 scheduled for 2013. Isro chairman G Madhavan Nair announced the significance of the discovery for India’s future Moon missions at the Isro headquarters, Bangalore, on Friday, hours after Nasa publicly acknowledged Isro’s partnership in this discovery.

Nair began with: ‘‘India has discovered water on Moon. It is a remarkable finding.’’ And added cheekily: ‘‘I would like to disagree with the media which has been saying Chandrayaan-1 is a failure, setback and all that. I believe it is a wonderful mission. I have been saying it is a 95% success, but now I want to say it is 110% success.’’

Describing the finding as ‘pathbreaking’, Nair said: ‘‘The discovery opens up many more questions about the Moon — how much water there is, the quantity, the extent, where it is located...’’

He went on: ‘‘We will revisit the scientific objectives of India’s second moon mission Chandrayaan-2. We’ll see if we can go beyond analysis of soil samples. We’ll explore how we can go down further on Moon, whether we can go down a few centimetres or half a metre... We’ll think of a deeper exploration of the Moon’s crust.’’

‘‘For this, there has to be a mid-course correction of the scientific objectives of Chandrayaan-2. We will certainly do that.’’

On the progress of Chandrayaan-2, Nair said: ‘‘I am under terrific pressure — the number of proposals (for instruments) we have received is so high. We are full at the moment. We are in fact wondering whether and how to create extra capacity to carry all that. We will evaluate every proposal and examine them in the light of our objectives. The revised scientific objectives should be ready latest by March (2010). It takes three years from conception of mission to design. We are on schedule to launch Chandrayaan-2 in 2013.’’
Returning to the water discovery, Nair said: ‘‘With Chandrayaan-1, India has set the pattern for future explorations. Nasa is thinking of international cooperation in some of its future missions and has a group exclusively for that. Space from now on is global — about global cooperation.’’

The discovery has implications for inter-planetary explorations, Nair said. ‘‘There is abundant sunlight that can be converted into electricity. Hydrogen and oxygen could generate water. Rockets can be filled up. You can think of going to Mars from Moon. Moon could possibly become a base for inter-planetary exploration, manned or unmanned.’’

 

[prahladh]

Hope, this new additions don't delay Chandrayaan-2, though I don't doubt the impeccable record of ISRO.

 

[rahulrds1]

We cannot arrange lunar mission every year. We have to increase the number of experiments to be carried out there on moon surface with rover.

As the experiment number increases this needs extra instruments/equipments and robotics on the Rover this further will increase the weight of the indian rover(currently 15 kg. It needs to be 40 to 60 kg) thats why ISRO is rethinking how to create extra capacity to carry all that.---[(GSLV)]

 

[rahulrds1]

Three IIT-Kanpur professors chip in for India’s lunar rover
[ Indianexpress : Posted: Monday , Sep 28, 2009 at 0613 hrs Kanpur]

Though the Chandrayan-I mission ended prematurely this August, work is afoot for the second mission and the scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) who are working in the project have roped in the professors of the Indian Institute of Technology- Kanpur (IIT-K) for helping them in developing India’s first lunar rover.


ISRO has asked the IIT-K professors to develop and test three major components of the lunar rover, which will be sent to moon in 2012 as past of Chandrayan-II.

Of the eight major components of the rover, the three components assigned to IIT-K include development and testing of computer vision-based autonomous 3D map generation system, kinematic traction control, and control and motor dynamics of the six wheels of the mobile robot.

While K S Venkatesh, the associate professor of the institute’s electrical engineering department, is working on the visual navigation project, associate professor of mechanical engineering Ashish Dutta has been given the responsibility to develop and validate the kinematic traction control models.

Associate professor of the electrical engineering department Ramprasad Potluri is working on control and motor dynamics of the rover’s six wheels.

All the three professors who were told to begin work in the project in March 2009 plan to complete their “assignments” by 2010.

“Under the visual navigation project, photographs of the lunar surface will be taken through a system of cameras installed in the rover,” K S Venkatesh told The Indian Express. He said the cameras will also help in deciding the movement of the mobile robot. The visual navigation will provide 3D maps of the lunar terrain.

“Once the project is completed, we will test it on a prototype lunar rover at IIT-K and thereafter the technology will be forwarded to ISRO,” added Venkatesh. The final testing and approval of all the components being developed by the IIT-K will be done by ISRO.

According to Potluri, of the six wheels of the rover, four can be driven and steered. The rest can only be driven.

“The six wheels will have 10 motors to manage the movement and steering of the lunar rover,” he said, adding that the major challenge will be to bring a co-ordination between all the 10 motors.

The uneven terrain of moon is likely to act as a hurdle in the free movement of the rover.

Under the kinematic traction control models, IIT-K will be developing a sub-controller which will correct the path of the lunar rover on the uneven terrain.

The project will not only help the wheels of mobile robot in maintaining the grip on the lunar surface but also prove essential in deciding the movement of the robot.

 

[RPK]

'Chandrayaan-2 will try to get details about water on moon' - OPINION - The Times of India

G Madhavan Nair , chairperson of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has played a key role in the design and development of the
four-stage Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), the workhorse of ISRO. The PSLV launched the Indian mooncraft, Chandrayaan-1 on its journey to the moon. The mission has won worldwide acclaim after one of its foreign payloads, NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper, discovered water molecules. Nair spoke to Srinivas Laxman :



What's the impact of the discovery on our space programme?

The discovery of water has really reinforced India's position as a growing space power. Its status has considerably gone up and this is evident from the several congratulatory messages which we have received from different parts of the world and the various space agencies. We will be getting more and more significant data.

What's the next step?

In the mooncraft there are a number of supporting instruments. These will be used for further confirmation of the presence of water molecules. This whole process is expected to take three to six months. In addition, we are also eagerly awaiting the results from NASA's LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite) spacecraft that will crashland at Cabeus, a crater near the moon's south pole, on October 9. This mission is also expected to search for water ice.

On Friday, you said it was ISRO's Moon Impact Probe (MIP) which crashlanded near the Shackleton Crater in the lunar south pole on November 14, 2008, that first detected signs of water. Why was this important fact not publicised earlier?

The MIP first detected signals of water while it was descending towards the lunar surface on November 14. Since it was a short duration flight we could not make any positive announcement that it had detected signals of water until we got firm proof and confirmation. This took about 10 months and now that we have concrete evidence about the presence of water we decided to announce the discovery by MIP.

In which part of the moon was water found?

In the polar regions.



What is the status of the second Indian moon mission, Chandrayaan-2?

We expect to launch it in 2013. It is a joint Indo-Russian mission that, apart from the orbiter, will have a lander and two rovers. This mission will also attempt to obtain more details about water.

Has ISRO started receiving scientific proposals for this moon flight?

Yes, suggestions have started coming in and the process of evaluating them will start soon.

Which is ISRO's next mission?

We are preparing for the launch of the Geo Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle towards the end of December that will have an indigenous cryogenic engine. The rocket will carry the GSat-4 communication satellite.

 

[RPK]

Khabrein.info

ISRO set to revise Chandrayaan-II objectives

New Delhi, September 28: Chandrayaan-I’s ‘path breaking’ discovery of water on moon has prompted ISRO to revisit the scientific objectives of the Chandrayaan-II slated for 2013, said ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair in Bangalore after NASA publicly acknowledged it’s partnership in this discovery.

India is also planning to send astronauts in space by 2015. And India is prepared to shell out as much as 2.5 billion dollaar on its space odyssey.

The Indian Planning Commission has reportedly signed off a $2.5 billion plan to follow an unmanned orbiter in 2013 with a manned mission in 2014-2015. This is actually slightly less ambitious than some of the rumours that were circulating when Chandrayaan launched, which had India putting people on the Moon by 2015.

The London Times sometimes ago said that although the Indian Cabinet still has to sign off the plan this is a formality now the commission has approved it.

While the merits of manned space programmes can – and will – be debated till everyone is blue in the face, it’s nice to see some new players on the space scene. After all, there’s space for everyone up there (so long as you’re careful).

India has earmarked Rs 12,400 Crore for its manned space mission that it wants to launch in 2015. India’s Planning Commission made the announcement a few months ago.

In the meantime India's second lunar mission Chandrayaan-II is likely to be launched by 2013, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman G. Madhavan Nair said on Saturday.

"Chandrayaan-II should take place by 2013. Our first lunar mission, Chandrayaan-I, has given us a substantial understanding about entering the moon's orbit. But ensuring the safe landing of the rover on the lunar surface is still an obstacle," Nair told reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony here.

Speaking of the expected mid-courses correction in the Indo-Russian joint mission Chandrayaan-II, Madhavan Nair said it would be a deeper exploration of the Moon’s crust that probes beyond analysis of soil samples. He also sought to reassert that Chandrayaan was a grand success, despite the media criticism that picked up after the abrupt termination of India’s first lunar mission.

NASA now wants to have international cooperation in an increasingly ‘globalized’ space, he said elaborating on Chandrayaan-2. ‘‘I am under terrific pressure — the number of proposals (for payloads) we have received is so high. We are full at the moment. We are in fact wondering whether and how to create extra capacity to carry all that. We will evaluate every proposal and examine them in the light of our objectives. The revised scientific objectives should be ready latest by March (2010).’’

Meanwhile, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, India’s former scientist-president suggested that ISRO and NASA deploy surface robotic penetrator in ‘Chandrayaan-II’ mission to explore more about the lunar water and that spacecrafts be thinned down to one-kilogram by 2050 to slash the cost by 90 per cent. He made these suggestions to NASA scientists in when they presented the findings of Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) to Indian scientists.

It was on September 24 that the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) scientists confirmed that their Chandrayaan payload has detected water molecules and hydroxyl on the lunar surface.

Madhavan Nair added that the discovery has implications for inter-planetary explorations and one day one would be thinking of traveling to Mars from Moon.

 

[RPK]

news.outlookindia.com | 'Chandrayaan-II to Probe Further for Water Presence on Moon'

With India's maiden Moon mission making a path-breaking discovery about water presence on lunar surface, the objectives of Chandrayaan-II would be modified for further probes into that aspect, ISRO Chairman Dr G Madhavan Nair said today.

"This major achievement has been taken very seriously by scientists the world over. There should be more enquiries on the source of water. It has to be found out whether there would be more water towards the pole (of the Moon)," Nair told reporters here.

Certain changes would have to be made on the mission objectives of Chandrayaan-II for further enquiries in that direction. "We are thinking about it," he added.

Nair also said the GSLV in the present cryogenic stage is expected to be launched by this year end.

 

[rahulrds1]

Image of the Moon Mineralogy. Blue shows the signature of water, green shows the brightness of the surface as measured by reflected infra-red radiation from the sun and red shows an iron-bearing mineral called pyroxene.

I think the Chandrayaan-II landing will be in the south pole region.

 

[nitesh]

This thread is sticky now, guys all chandrayaan II related news and discussions here please

 

[RPK]

Chandrayaan II to be technically challenging: Annadurai

Mumbai: India's second mission to Moon 'Chandrayaan II', expected to be launched in 2013, has many challenges for scientists and engineers, mission director M Annadurai said on Saturday.

"Chandrayaan II will not be just a probe. It will be landing on moon and is an incrementally and technically challenging mission for Indian scientists," Annadurai said in an interactive session with students at the South Indian Education Society (SIES) college at Sion in central Mumbai.


The fact that water molecules have been confirmed on moon surface especially on the sunlit areas and their origin is not external sources like meteors (new postulate), it has become important to seek more exploration and Chandrayaan II will be landing on moon to collect more data on it, he said.

Asked whether the scientists involved in Chandrayaan I project will work for Chandrayan II, he said "yes" and added that even the same participants from abroad will be in the mission.

Interest has been shown by other countries like Russia and "there is a chance of Russia participating in Chandrayaan II mission," he said.

When asked how long it will take to analyse all the data collected from Chandrayaan I mission, Annadurai said "it will take at least two to three and a half years for complete analysis."

Replying to query how India's Chandrayaan I was different from several moon missions in the world, Annadurai said, "there were so far 70 moon missions and Chandrayaan I was different by having 11 scientific instruments and 60 detectors."

Annadurai said that the missions like Chandrayaan I is economically viable and cost-wise it is competitive as the ISRO scientists use aggressive models.


Related StoriesKalam advises ISRO, NASA on Chandrayaan-IISimulations are used and then the models are made also to reduce the cost. The cost of Chandrayaan I was Rs 386 crore.

To a query how he had joined ISRO and participated in all the launch programmes and now heading the Chandrayaan mission, 56-year-old Annadurai said, "from my childhood I did something little different and that made all the difference."

"I got into higher studies in the general category although I could have gone in reserved category and determined to accomplish things (including getting scholarships) by doing something different and Chandrayaan was one of them," he said.

He told students that India provides a lot of opportunities and gives much more returns and invited them to join ISRO taking a science career by have an attitude of "you can make a difference."

 

[RPK]

Kalam shares his vision on Chandrayan-II with IIM-A

Ahmedabad: Former President APJ Abdul Kalam on Wednesday shared his vision about Chandrayan-II, with IIM-A students during his theme lecture, 'Vision for Elevation of India by 2020', as part of Globalizing Resurgent India through Innovative Transformation (GRIIT) course offered here.

"Dr Kalam during his class session today shared his vision with the Indian Insititute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A) students about the scope for Chandrayan-II, which he had earlier shared with ISRO and NASA scientists," a scientist working with Dr Kalam, V Ponraj said.


Dr Kalam has suggested the space scientists to create a payload (possibly a robot) that can accompany Chandrayan -II, the project undertaken by ISRO. It should have the capability to land on Moon, and penetrate lunar surface upto one metre depth, Ponraj said.

Kalam said the paylaod should collect samples using spectroscopic instruments to understand the depth of water available on the lunar surface by carrying out experiments, he added.

The Moon Mineralogy Mapper(M3), one of the two instruments that NASA has contributed for India's first mission to moon Chandrayan-I found OH/H2O on the lunar surface, Ponraj said.

 

[nitesh]

Isro to bring moon to earth - dnaindia.com

Bangalore: The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is building a replica of the surface of the moon in preparation for the country's second lunar mission. Chandrayaan-2, to be launched in 2013, will comprise two robotic rovers to explore the lunar surface and also dig deeper.

The mock-up of the lunar surface is being set up at Isro's satellite centre, making use of the high resolution pictures clicked by the terrain mapping camera (TMC), one of the payloads on Chandrayaan-1. The model will be replete with moon dust, rocks and craters so that the Chandrayaan-2 rovers can be perfectly tested, according to TK Alex, the director of Isro's satellite centre. The model, estimated to be completed by next October, will cost Rs10 crore to Rs15 crore.

While the specific task objectives of Chandrayaan-2 are to be finalised, the recent discovery of water by Chandrayaan-1 has led to a modification in the mission. "In our earlier discussions, in-situ exploration of water on the moon was not a major objective. But now it has become one," said a senior scientist at Isro, who added that a drilling instrument may be part of the mission to look for water and other minerals.

"Also, in addition to a 20kg Russian rover, we have a 2kg mini-rover fitted with a camera. The rovers will cover around 50 metres every day and send experimental data to the orbiting spacecraft for over three months."

He said the life of the rovers has been extended to six months or even one year from the earlier one month.

The mini-rover will be one of two indigenous rovers, but the second will remain at the satellite centre as a working scale replica of the first. "The second rover will operate on the lunar surface model to match the movements of the rover on the moon in near real time," the scientist said.

 

[rahulrds1]

ISRO competes with NASA?

(view of earth from lunar surface)

ISRO competes with NASA?

Bangalore: It’s being said that Indian Space Agency ISRO is competing with NASA. The recent success of Chandrayaan- 1mission on the moon has ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair in spot light.

The discovery of water on the surface of moon has pushed for further investigations into the same and there are a lot of expectations from the Chandrayaan-2 space mission scheduled for 2013.

While the media had written off the Chandrayaan-1 mission, NASA has applauded ISRO’s achievement for the same. This had made Nair more ambitious and hopeful for Chandrayaan-2.

He is all excited about it and says it will take him a good three years to decide and design everything before Chandrayaan-2 embarks upon yet another path-breaking discovery.

According to Nair, the latest space mission has opened up the arena for inter-planetary exploration. He is also hopeful of an international co-operation in space research from NASA for future space missions.

 

[rahulrds1]

(Lunar Libration With Phase)

 

[rahulrds1]

Chandrayaan-2 will take the exploration forward: Dr. Annadurai

The Hindu. THANJAVUR, October 2, 2009

Chandrayaan-2 will probe deeply into the availability of water in the Moon's sub-surface said Mylswamy Annadurai, Project Director, Chandrayan one and two, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) here on Friday.
Delivering the Knowledge Leadership Fourm Lecture on Science and the technical aspects of Chandrayaan-1 at SASTRA University, Dr. Annadurai said Chandrayaan-1 had established the availability of water particles on the surface of the Moon. Chandrayaan-2 will take forward the exploration deep into the body of the Moon.
Chandrayaan-2, scheduled to be launched in 2013 will have more components than Chandrayaan-1. Unlike Chandrayaan-1, which circled the Moon and sent data for analysis on earth, Chandrayaan-2 will have a component that will land on the Moon and send two rovers down to collect and analyse data on the Moon itself. It will penetrate vertically to look for water inside.
Dr. Annadurai said the cost of the Chandrayaan-2 project was Rs. 426 crore. This is more than Chandrayaan-1 which cost Rs. 381 crore as it has more components than Chandrayaan-1. Even the cost of Chandrayaan-1 was less compared to missions taken up by other countries. “Chandrayaan was the most economical launch compared to other countries,” Dr. Annadurai said.
He said Chandrayaan-1 has accomplished its mission. "Technically total mission has been accomplished within the schedule and budget. It was cent per cent success. The baby has done its job," Dr. Annadurai said.
Chandrayaan-1 has established international co-operation. There were eleven instruments and sixteen sensors in Chandrayaan-1 and each instrument has sent enough data.
"Chandrayaan-1 has performed well and has exceeded the expectations," he added. It has provided a logical extension to Chandrayaan-2.
S. Swaminathan, Dean, SASTRA, participated in the meeting.

 

[RPK]

Khabrein.info

Indian Planning Commission earmarked $2.5 billion for the mission months ago. ISRO’s Chairman G Madhavan Nair had on several occasions spoken about Chandrayaan-II’s slated 2013 launch. Chandrayaan-II will be a joint mission by India and Russia.

Madhavan Nair had told reports that ISRO is under pressure to consider various International proposals for payloads to be sent onboard Chandrayaan-II. However, he said the final draft of the scientific objectives of the second Chandrayaan mission will be ready latest by March 2010.

Chandrayaan-II will probe the lunar surface beyond analysis of soil samples, according to Nair.

 

[rahulrds1]

More indigenous components in second moon mission: ISRO

Reference: Sindh Today – Online News More indigenous components in second moon mission: ISRO

November 23rd, 2009 SindhToday
Coimbatore, Nov 23(ANI): Mylswamy Annadurai, Project Director of Chandrayan Mission II, ISRO, on Monday said that there would be more indigenous components in country’s second moon mission.

Annadurai was in the city to participate in the 30th convocation of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

Addressing the media on the sidelines of the function, Annadurai said: “This time we expect more indigenous components will be there. But of course, we don’t rule out Indo-Russian composition, which is already there, but may not be that many number of instruments what we carried there (Mission Chandrayaan I).”

“As of now India and Russia, others also trying to get in, but until we exhaust our own instruments we are not able to do it,” he added.

Annadurai further said that country’s second Moon Mission would consist of the spacecraft and a landing platform with two moon rovers.

He added that ISRO would use the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in its second mission, which would be launched in 2012-13.

“This project is already in place and nearly Rs. 425 crores have been allotted for the budget provision for this Chandrayaan II Mission and scheduled to go for in 2012-13…another ISRO Mission Chndrayaan I was carried by PSLV whereas Chandrayaan II will be carried by GSLV,” Annadurai added.

He also informed that as opposed to Chandrayaan-1, which was a moon orbiter, Chandrayaan-II would have moon rovers and would be capable of actually landing on the moon surface.

India terminated its first mission to the moon in August 2009, a day after scientists lost all contact with the unmanned spacecraft orbiting the moon.

The 79 million dollar mission was launched amid national euphoria last October, putting India in the Asian space race alongside rival China and reinforcing its claim to be considered a global power. (ANI)

 

[plugwater]

Second Moon Mission

The success of Chandrayaan-I has been mainly in terms of :

>> Building the spacecraft with multiple sensor system;

>> Launching the spacecraft with India¡¦s own Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and precisely inserting the same into the lunar orbit in the first attempt itself;

>> Imaging up to 95% of the lunar surface at high-resolution;

>> Broad assessment of the mineralogical composition of certain parts of the lunar surface;

>> Finding hydroxyl and water molecules on the lunar surface;

>> Dropping the insignia of the Indian tri-colour on the lunar surface; and

>> Establishing the Indian Deep Space Network and Indian Space Science Data Centre.

These successes, combined also with the current global trends of planetary study, build up interest in the ISRO¡¦s second Moon Mission.

The configuration of the instruments to be carried onboard the Chandrayaan-II are currently being worked out. Carrying a probe to collect and analyze the samples from the lunar surface is also being considered.

This was stated by Shri Prithviraj Chavan, the Minister of State (I/C) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences in the Rajya Sabha today.

PIB Press Release

 

[nitesh]

SuperNova: PICTURE: Chandrayaan-2 concept from ISRO

 

[Chota]

Vikram

The Indian moon rover for chandrayaan-2 is called VIKRAM