Moon Eyes

The success of India's first lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1 has boosted the morale of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The organization is now working very hard on the next step in this direction. In 2013, ISRO plans to revisit the moon by its Chandrayaan-2 mission. This mission will be in direct collaboration with the Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA).

The history of the mission is not very old. The Indian space research body and its Russian counterpart RKA, popularly known as ROSKOSMOS, signed a collaboration contract on November 12, 2007 to work together on a moon project. The Government of India approved the moon venture in a Union Cabinet meeting on 18 September 2008 under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. By August 2009, the design of space craft was completed and a joint review by the scientists of both countries was undertaken.

The current scope of this mission includes reaching moon in a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) platform. The platform will carry a lunar orbiter and a lunar rover, both of which are manufactured by ISRO. The lander to be used this time is made by Russia. ISRO's goal is to conduct a number of new experiments as well as test a number of new technologies for extraterrestrial and deep space exploration. ISRO also plans to conduct field trials of a number of new innovations for space flight as well as zero gravity and suborbital flights.

ISRO has revealed that the Indian made lunar rover will move around on the moon's surface. It will also collect rock and soil samples to conduct on site chemical analysis. Meanwhile the orbiter will provide earth link capability to enable communication with the Master Control Facility in Hassan as well as the mission research and analysis center to bet set up at the time of mission execution.

The payload of the mission has been finalized. Unlike the Chandrayaan-1 which carried payload from ISRO, NASA and the European Space Agency, Chandrayaan-2 will not be carrying any non Indian payload. The finalized payload of the mission includes the Orbiter payload and the Rover payload.

The Orbiter payload of the mission includes Large Area Soft X-ray Spectrometer (CLASS) from ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bangalore and Solar X-ray monitor (XSM) from Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad,  L and S band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) from Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad, Imaging IR Spectrometer (IIRS) from SAC, Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ChACE-2) from Space Physics Laboratory (SPL), Thiruvananthapuram and Terrain Mapping Camera-2 (TMC-2) from SAC, Ahmedabad. The Rover payload of the mission includes  Laser induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) from Laboratory for Electro Optic Systems ( LEOS), Bangalore and Alpha Particle Induced X-ray Spectroscope (APIXS) from PRL, Ahmedabad.

Chandrayaan-2 is expected to take India another step closer to manned space flight.