As a part of the three-year short-term action plan, immediate missions that we plan to do this year are the GSLV-F08 that will launch the GSAT-6A communication satellite [around February]. Then we will have a PSLV mission with navigation satellite IRNSS-1I. Then comes the second developmental flight D2 of GSLV-MkIII. It will launch the high throughput satellite GSAT-29. Later, GSAT-11, which will be our heaviest satellite as of now, will be launched from Kourou. The Chandrayaan-2 mission will be launched this year on another GSLV.
Unlike the first lunar mission when a PSLV rocket carried the spacecraft to the moon's orbit, this time heavy-payload lifter GSLV Mk II will launch the spacecraft weighing 3,290kg as the module will carry an orbiter, a rover and a lander to the moon.
Dr Sivan said, "After reaching the moon's orbit, the lander will get detached from the orbiter and do a soft-landing near the south pole of the moon. The 6-wheeled rover fixed within the lander will get detached and move on the lunar surface. The rover has been designed in such a way that it will have power to spend a lunar day or 14 Earth days on the moon's surface and walk up to 150-200 metres. It will do several experiments and on-site chemical analysis of the surface."The Isro chairman said, "The rover will then send data and images of the lunar surface back to the Earth through the orbiter within 15 minutes.
After spending 14 earth days, the rover will go in a sleep mode. We are hoping the rover will again come alive whenever that part of the moon (where the rover will land) gets sunlight and recharges the rover's solar cells. Besides the rover, the orbiter will also capture images of the moon while orbiting it."
On testing of lunar components, Dr Sivan said, "All three components of the lunar module are almost ready. Currently, their integration is going on. Once the module is ready, it will have to go through rigorous tests." On fixing launch date, he said, "The launch date will depend on various factors like the moon's relative position with respect to the Earth.
Once the GSLV is launched, it will put the spacecraft in the 170 km x 20,000 km elliptical orbit. From the elliptical orbit, the craft will be manoeuvred towards the lunar orbit by firing thrusters. Therefore, we expect it to reach the lunar orbit in two months."
In the run-up to the most challenging space exploration programme undertaken ever by India, ISRO chairman K Sivan told Express that integration of all the three components of the spacecraft is nearing completion at ISRO Satellite Centre in Bengaluru. “The next 45-60 days will be crucial as the composite pack, comprising Orbiter, Lander and Rover will go through a series of rigorous tests in disassembled and assembled mode. The outcome of these test results will determine the launch date. If we succeed to achieve the desired results in the first attempt, then the launch would take place in April, but in case any technical problems are encountered, there would be a delay. Since this is the first such attempt being made, there is always an uncertainty,” he said.The chairman said the launch window is fixed between April and October, within which the space agency hopes to accomplish the mission. “The launch date depends on multiple factors like the moon’s relative position with respect to Earth. After the lift-off from Sriharikota, it would take approximately two months to reach the designated moon’s orbit. Another important factor is that when the Lander makes the touchdown on the pre-determined site near south pole of lunar surface, there should be sunlight. In a month, moon sees sunlight for only 14 days,” Sivan said.
With the much-awaited Chandrayaan-2 mission, India's second flight to the moon, Isro is attempting to pull off a daredevil manoeuvre. It will be the first-ever mission to soft land near the moon's south pole, which poses a number of challenges."We have identified two locations and will be choosing one. No other moon mission has landed in this area," said former Isro chief AS Kiran Kumar on Saturday, who retired as Isro chairman last month.
In preparation for this touchdown, landing simulations are currently on at Isro's Liquid Propulsion System Centre at Mahendra Giri in Tamil Nadu. The exercise involves a prototype of the lander simulating a soft landing from a height of 70-80 metres.
Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 01/21/2018 05:31 pmFurther, are the launch window constraints more relaxed, as this is not a direct trans-lunar injection?Presumably, as it takes a certain of amount of time to reach the Moon, regardless of route chosen and that ISRO would like to land early in the Lunar day, this would mean the window would open for a few days each month.
Further, are the launch window constraints more relaxed, as this is not a direct trans-lunar injection?
Therefore, just in case something needs an upgrade and we miss this clear visibility window in April, our next chance will be in October. But the activities are in full steam targeting April,” he said.
The trajectory can be flown any month but the combination of trajectory and illumination is more restrictive and repeats at 6 month intervals.
India’s second mission to the moon, Chandrayaan-2, is likely to be launched only in October. Further delays cannot be ruled out if systems are not yet in place by then.
An Isro official told TOIseveral tests have to be done and arrangements need to be made.
The original plan envisaged the launch between April and November with the real target focussed for April. Top Isro officials had expressed confidence that the takeoff will happen in April.
But on Friday, it was stated the lunar mission was not yet ready for an April lift-off and much still needs to be done.
Chandrayaan-II likely delayed to OctoberQuoteIndia’s second mission to the moon, Chandrayaan-2, is likely to be launched only in October. Further delays cannot be ruled out if systems are not yet in place by then.QuoteAn Isro official told TOIseveral tests have to be done and arrangements need to be made.QuoteThe original plan envisaged the launch between April and November with the real target focussed for April. Top Isro officials had expressed confidence that the takeoff will happen in April.QuoteBut on Friday, it was stated the lunar mission was not yet ready for an April lift-off and much still needs to be done.Source
Can anyone tell me if the uprated cryogenic engine of GSLV MK-II is re-startable ? Any cryogenic engine propelled upper stage that is NOT RE-STARTABLE is simply of no vital use. This may sound harsh to many of us, but that is the reality. GSLV MK-II's cryogenic engine will not be able to do TLI maneuver. Can it do this ? Chandrayan-II has to reach the moon through the spacecraft's gradual orbit raising, thus taking it almost two months to get to the moon. ISRO seems to have its task cut out.
The launch of India's second lunar mission 'Chandrayaan-2', slated for next month, has been postponed to October as the experts have suggested some tests, the ISRO said today.
Dr Sivan said, “The original targeted date for the launch was kept on April 23. However, as the ongoing tests for the lunar mission will take 20 more days, the April 23rd date could not be met. Therefore the panel decided to defer the launch. Unlike, other satellite launches where Isro could easily defer the launch by a day or two to get a perfect mission, Isro can’t do the same in this mission. This is because the ideal date for the moon launch comes only once in a month. If we skip that date of the month, we have to plan the launch next month. After April, if Isro launches the mission from May to September, we won’t be able to utilise the full lunar day (14 Earth days) for experiments on the moon because of eclipses. Therefore, Isro will launch the mission in the first week of October.”
“All these new things are being done keeping lunar mission in the mind and ISRO’s bigger game plan to increase GSLV payload capability. For Chandrayaan-2, we are formulating a perfect combination. The four strap-ons and second stage will be boosted with high-thrust Vikas engines; cryogenic upper stage will be loaded with enhanced propellants of 15 tonnes instead of current 12.8 tonnes and will be operated with 9.5 tonne thrust compared to the present 7.5.”
Planned vehicle upgrades for GSLV for the Chandrayaan-II missionQuote“All these new things are being done keeping lunar mission in the mind and ISRO’s bigger game plan to increase GSLV payload capability. For Chandrayaan-2, we are formulating a perfect combination. The four strap-ons and second stage will be boosted with high-thrust Vikas engines; cryogenic upper stage will be loaded with enhanced propellants of 15 tonnes instead of current 12.8 tonnes and will be operated with 9.5 tonne thrust compared to the present 7.5.”Source