India’s historic endeavor to become the first country to make a soft landing near the south pole of the Moon, unfortunately, did not go as planned. The Chandrayaan-2 mission, carried out by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), experienced an unexpected setback when its lander, ‘Vikram,’ lost communication during the descent.
During its approach to the lunar surface, everything proceeded as expected until approximately 2.1 km (1.3 miles) from the moon’s surface. At this critical stage, an error occurred, mere seconds before the spacecraft was due to land. If successful, Vikram’s intended landing would have greatly slowed the spacecraft’s velocity from 6048 km per hour to about 7 km per hour or less, a technique that would have allowed for a soft touchdown.
If the Chandrayaan-2 mission had unfolded without problems, India would have joined an exclusive group of countries – the United States, Russia, and China – which have achieved a soft lunar landing.
Not All Is Lost for Chandrayaan-2
Despite the unfortunate incident, ISRO maintains that the mission has not been fully compromised. In fact, only 5% of the mission has been lost — namely, Vikram the lander and Pragyan the rover. Despite this setback, the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter is functioning as intended, successfully orbiting the Moon.
Expected to continue its operation for approximately one year, the Orbiter’s main mission is to map the lunar terrain and study the intensity of the solar radiation present on the moon. It will also evaluate the presence of key elements such as Magnesium, Aluminium, Silicon, Calcium, Titanium, Iron, and Sodium.
In addition to these valuable tasks, the Orbiter is assigned to carry out an estimation of the volume of water-ice in the lunar polar regions.
Elements of the Chandrayaan-2 Mission
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Orbiter | Moon orbiting module designed for mapping and studying solar radiation and lunar elements |
| Vikram | The lander, named ‘Vikram,’ expected to make a soft landing on the moon |
| Pragyan | The rover, named ‘Pragyan,’ purposed for lunar exploration |
A Dual Achievement for India
Chandrayaan-2 is an integrated spacecraft consisting of three parts: the Orbiter, Vikram the lander, and Pragyan the rover. Each part is equipped with scientific instruments designed to explore and study the moon. Despite the communication loss of Vikram and Pragyan, the mission still holds significant value as it successfully placed the Orbiter around the moon, thereby marking India’s position in space exploration.
