Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Chandrayaan mission seems to be on course, well set on its way to the moon.

The Chandrayaan mission seems to be on course, well set on its way to the moon. According to project director M. Annadurai, the Chandrayaan has covered almost half the distance to the moon. The Chandrayaan was launched on October 22 with the help of a homespun PSLV C-11 rocket; modified for India's first lunar expedition.
Post a picture-perfect launch, the Chandrayaan probe, piggybacking scientific instruments from various other countries is now on course for its first brush with the moon. There are three more maneuvers to be completed before the probe attains its intended orbital path around the moon. The last of these steps is scheduled for November 8th.
That is when the rockets aboard the Chandrayaan will fire and push it forth towards an elliptical orbit around the moon. By November 14-15th, it will be just 100 kms above the surface of the moon -- its final intended orbit. Before the scientific projects commence and the Chandrayaan starts sending valuable data from the lunar surface, it will drop its symbolic payload -- the first Indian object, our national flag on to the lunar surface!