What is Chandrayaan 1?
Chandrayaan 1, India’s first ever mission to the Moon, which was launched on October 22, 2008, by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, and operated until August 2009. PSLV-XL rocket used to launch the spacecraft.
The spacecraft was mapping the moon’s composition, minerals, and photogeology while it was in an orbit of 100 km above the lunar surface. The mission also included the ‘Moon Impact Probe’ that landed and investigated the lunar surface. The spacecraft also carried eleven scientific instruments manufactured in Germany, Sweden, Bulgaria, the USA, UK, and India.
Mission Objectives
The main objective of Chandrayaan 1 was to explore and map the moon’s surface in unprecedented detail, with a special focus on the detection of water molecules. The scientific objectives are:
- To use and Indian-made launch vehicle to design, develop, launch, and orbit a spacecraft around the Moon.
- Conducting scientific experiments using instruments on the spacecraft to gather data.
- Searching for lunar water ice, either above or below the surface, particularly near the poles.
- Enhancing the scientific knowledge.
- Provide new perspective on our knowledge of the Moon’s formation and evolution.
Launch Vehicle and Payloads
As we said earlier, the spacecraft also carried eleven scientific instruments manufactured in Germany, Sweden, Bulgaria, the USA, the UK, and India. Those are listed below:
Launch Vehicle
On October 22, 2008, Chandrayaan was launched aboard PSLV C-11, an XL version of ISRO’s PSLV, which is one of the world’s most reliable launch vehicles. PSLV was eventually used to launch the Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission) in 2013.
Indian Payloads
- Terrain Mapping Camera (TMC): The goal of TMC was to prepare a three-dimensional model with a high spatial and elevation resolution by mapping the topography of the moon’s near and sides. TMC payload is manufactured by SAC, Ahmedabad, ISRO.
Dimension: 370 × 220 × 414 mm.
- Hyper Spectral Imager (HySI): HySI, or hyperspectral imaging, is used to obtain spectroscopic data for mineralogical mapping of the lunar surface. Dimension: 275 × 255 × 205 mm.
- Lunar Laser Ranging Instrument (LLRI): Lunar Laser Ranging Instrument, or LLRI, provides ranging data for determining the height difference between the spacecraft and the lunar surface.
- High Energy X-ray Spectrometer (HEX): High Energy X-ray Spectrometer, or HEX, detects radioactive emissions and uses specific signals in the range 30-270 keV to characterize the chemical and radioactive compositions of different lunar terrains.
- Moon Impact Probe (MIP): Moon Impact Probe, or MIP, developed by ISRO, was attached to the main orbiter’s upper deck and released at a predetermined time to impact at a predefined location during the final 100 km × 100 km orbit.
Abroad Payloads
- Chandrayaan 1 X-ray Spectrometer (CIXS): Collaboration between Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UK, ESA, and ISRO. The main objective of this instrument was to map the moon using high-quality X-ray spectroscopy in order to constrain answers to important issues about the moon’s formation and evolution.
- Near-IR Spectrometer (SIR-2): Developed by the Max-Plank Institute for Solar System Science, ESA’s Near-Infrared Spectrometer, or SIR-2, analyzes the lunar surface in different geological and topographical units. It also studies ‘Space Weathering’ processes of the lunar surface.
- Miniature Synthetic Aperture Radar (MiniSAR): Designed by Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Naval Air Warfare Centre, USA, and NASA, the Miniature Synthetic Aperture Radar, or MiniSAR, is an onboard radar mapper to find water ice below a few meters in the permanently dark areas of the lunar poles.
- Sub keV Atom Reflecting Analyser (SARA): The Sub-keV Atom Reflecting Analyser, or SARA, is developed by the Swedish Institute of Space Physics Laboratory, ESA, and ISRO. It uses neutral atoms with low energy released from the surface to map the composition of minerals.
- Radiation Dose Monitor Experiment (RADOM): The Radiation Dose Monitor Experiment, or RADOM, is from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and aims to characterize the radiation environment in the vicinity of the Moon in terms of particle flow, dose rate, and deposited energy spectrum, both qualitatively and quantitatively.
- Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3): Moon Mineralogy Mapper, or M3, is from Brown University and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, USA, and NASA aimed at characterizing and mapping lunar surface minerals within the framework of lunar geologic development.
Timeline of the Mission
| Sl. No. | Date | Event Timeline |
|---|---|---|
1. |
August 15, 2003 |
The Chandrayaan programme is announced by the then Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee. |
2. |
October 22, 2008 |
Chandrayaan 1 launches from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. |
3. |
November 8, 2008 |
Chandrayaan 1 commences a lunar transfer trajectory. |
4. |
November 14, 2008 |
The lunar impact probe ejects from Chandrayaan 1 and hits near the lunar South Pole, demonstrate the presence of water molecules on the lunar surface. |
5. |
August 28, 2009 |
According to the ISRO, the Chandrayaan 1 programme has ended. |
Key Achievements
Chandrayaan 1, India’s first lunar mission, was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on October 22, 2008. It marked a significant milestone for India’s space program. Some of its key achievements include:
- Throughout this mission, we came to know that ice was present in the polar regions, as well as water molecules we had present in the lunar soil.
- It takes images of NASA’s spacecraft Apollo-11 and Apollo 15 landing sites.
- Using the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3), the mineral content of the lunar surface was mapped.
- The X-ray camera also detected the presence of aluminum (Al), magnesium (Mg), and silicon (Si) on the lunar surface.
- In just 75 days, the Chandrayaan 1 camera has sent over 40,000 images.
- This mission also leads to healthy relations with other space agencies.
- The mission comes with a very cost-effective cost; the cost for the mission was ₹386 crore (US $88 million).
Mission Challenges
During its lunar exploration mission, Chandrayaan 1 faced several of technological and environmental challenges. Some of the significant challenges are:
- Thermal Issue: The extreme temperature changes on the Moon caused overheating difficulties for Chandrayaan 1. This raised concerns about the spacecraft’s potential to maintain its onboard equipment and instruments within operating temperature limits.
- Radiation Exposure: The spacecraft had to withstand extreme solar radiation, particularly during periods of high solar activity. This could harm the electronic components and sensors of spacecraft.
- Communication Losses With Spacecraft: The unexpected loss of communication with the spaceship was one of the main challenges. After only 10 months, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) lost communication with Chandrayaan 1, even though it had achieved an abundance of its scientific goals.
- Highly Sensitive Instruments: To collect precise information on the composition, topography, and atmosphere of the lunar surface, one of the payloads—such as the Moon Impact Probe (MIP) and the different spectrometers—had to be highly sensitive.
Despite all these difficulties, Chandrayaan 1 is considered a significant achievement for ISRO, particularly for finding water molecules on the lunar surface.
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