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India is all set to reach the moon and that too in its own way, literally! The first Moon mission, an unmanned remote-sensing satellite called Chandrayaan-I , is set for launch. The results of this initiative is which would a long way in realizing the value of our closest celestial body and the emergence of new possibilities. Few facts on Chandrayaan * This spacecraft weighs 1304 kg (590 initial orbit mass and 504 kg dry mass) * The estimated costs for this ambitious project would be INR 3.8 billion * The power generation would be through a canted single-sided solar array to provide required power, 700 W at peak. * During eclipse the spacecraft will be powered by Lithium ion (Li-Ion) batteries. * The spacecraft carries propellant for a mission life of 2 years. The mission aims to carry out high resolution mapping of topographic features in 3D, distribution of minerals and elemental chemical species, and look for water ice in its polar regions. ISRO hopes to launch Chandrayaan-1 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre near Shriharikota this year.(AP Photo) |
