Author Topic: Chandrayaan-1 launch - First Indian mission to the Moon - October 22, 2008  (Read 136927 times)

Offline iamlucky13

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1657
  • Liked: 105
  • Likes Given: 93
That's certainly a cool looking LV.

(Total novice question), 4 stages, have there been many other (any) LV's with that many?

Counting the strap-ons, you could even call it 4.5 stages. Then again, if you really want to push definitions, you could divide the entire Apollo system into 6 stages (S-IC, S-II, S-IVB, CSM, LEM descent, LEM ascent, plus another CSM firing), but that's an entire system, not just a launch vehicle. Chandrayaan itself would count as a fifth stage if we wanted to read it this way.

There's been a few. Several older, smaller rockets trying to push the performance for established lower stages like the Juno-1 that launched Explorer-1 for example. The Orbital Sciences Minotaur and Russian Proton-M are current examples.

Oooohh...almost forgot, the old Soviet N-1 would have been a five stage rocket. I don't think they ever successfully reached 1st stage separation in the few flights they attempted. Very complicated and rather fascinating rocket.
« Last Edit: 10/22/2008 07:47 pm by iamlucky13 »

Offline glanmor05

  • BWFC Fan
  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 442
  • It's not all tea and medals!
  • Blackpool, England
  • Liked: 28
  • Likes Given: 0
Thanks for that.  I'm gonna do some reading on that lot now!!
"Through struggles, to the stars."

Offline edkyle99

  • Expert
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15391
    • Space Launch Report
  • Liked: 8565
  • Likes Given: 1356
That's certainly a cool looking LV.

(Total novice question), 4 stages, have there been many other (any) LV's with that many?

Cool looking perhaps, and an impressive accomplishment for India, but PSLV is a fairly complex vehicle for the current era.  It consists of four core stages (two solid, two liquid) augmented by six strap-on solid boosters.  The two liquid stages use two different propellant combinations.  The strap-on solids don't all ignite together.  Four start on the pad.  Two start 25 seconds after liftoff. 

Contrast with Delta 2, which can do the same with one less core stage.  Or with Taurus II, which is expected to do the same with one less core stage and no strap-on boosters.  Or with Falcon 9, which is expected to be able to do more with only two stages.

 - Ed Kyle

Offline otisbow

  • Regular
  • Full Member
  • **
  • Posts: 200
  • Little Rock, Ar.
  • Liked: 6
  • Likes Given: 0
Did anybody make a dvd of NASA's launch coverage?

Offline stanmarsh

  • Member
  • Posts: 18
  • Liked: 0
  • Likes Given: 1
Chandrayaan-1’s apogee has been raised to 37,900 km, while its perigee has been raised a little, to 305 km... : http://www.isro.org/pressrelease/Oct23_2008.htm

Offline Chris Bergin

Thanks Stan. This is a good reminder that while we're more about launch coverage here (apart from Shuttle), I do encourage you all to continue to follow this spacecraft via this thread.

I'll move it back into its home section on the forum later to all that continuation.
« Last Edit: 10/24/2008 08:35 pm by Chris Bergin »
Support NSF via L2 -- Help improve NSF -- Site Rules/Feedback/Updates
**Not a L2 member? Whitelist this forum in your adblocker to support the site and ensure full functionality.**

Offline jabe

  • Regular
  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1223
  • Liked: 179
  • Likes Given: 12
one more orbit increase
from here
Quote
With this engine firing, Chandrayaan-1’s apogee has been further raised to 74,715 km, while its perigee has been raised to 336 km. In this orbit, Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft takes about twenty-five and a half hours to go round the Earth once
jb

Offline prakshepak

  • Member
  • Posts: 3
  • Liked: 1
  • Likes Given: 0

Offline Cbased

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Posts: 278
  • Melbourne, Australia
  • Liked: 1
  • Likes Given: 0
Offtopic (but I found it very funny).

Rove (Australian TV) has just had a joke about this launch. Not exact words but he said something like this:
"India launched their first mission to the Moon. USA and Russia have done this a long time ago. Haven't they (indians) been told about it? Imagine they land on the Moon and see the Amazing Race host greeting them - India, you are the last team to arrive, you are eliminated from the Space Race" ;)))

Offline Shturmanskie

  • Member
  • Posts: 8
  • Liked: 0
  • Likes Given: 0
I wonder what he will say when the Australians finally get there (i.e. if they manage to).

My heartiest congratulations to ISRO and to the great team at ISRO. A remarkable achievement indeed.

Offtopic (but I found it very funny).

Rove (Australian TV) has just had a joke about this launch. Not exact words but he said something like this:
"India launched their first mission to the Moon. USA and Russia have done this a long time ago. Haven't they (indians) been told about it? Imagine they land on the Moon and see the Amazing Race host greeting them - India, you are the last team to arrive, you are eliminated from the Space Race" ;)))

Offline stanmarsh

  • Member
  • Posts: 18
  • Liked: 0
  • Likes Given: 1
Chandrayaan orbit to be raised to 267,000 Km...
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Chandrayaan_orbit_to_be_raised_ISRO/articleshow/3649512.cms

Excerpt:

CHENNAI: The earth orbit of India's first lunar spacecraft will be raised to 267,000 km Wednesday, an official here said.

"The Chandrayaan spacecraft, orbiting at a distance of around 165,000 km apogee (farthest point from earth) will be raised Wednesday to around 267,000 km. As of now, everything is normal and as per our expectations," Chandrayaan-1 project director M. Annadurai said.

The third orbit-raising was done Oct 26 and the spacecraft was raised up to 164,600 km, instead of 199,277 km apogee as originally announced by the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO).

"The important date for us is Nov 3 when the final orbit manoeuvre will happen. Between Oct 22 and Nov 3 we have the leeway to carry out the orbit raising activity," he said.

On Nov 3, the ISRO will take the spacecraft to 384,000 km apogee. The subsequent firing of spacecraft motors will take it near the lunar orbit and it is expected to get into lunar orbit Nov 8.

During the lunar orbit, the spacecraft's motors will be fired five times - called lunar burn - to take it to 100 km of the moon's radius.

"We expect that to happen November 14 or November 15," Annadurai said.

According to him the spacecraft has sufficient fuel on board. "Going up, the spacecraft spends less fuel to travel the same distance," he added. On Oct 23, the spacecraft's motors were fired for 18 minutes to take it to 37,900 km apogee.

Subsequently, the spacecraft motors were fired for 16 minutes and 9.5 minutes Oct 25 and Oct 26 respectively to take it to 74,715 km and 164,600 km respectively. "On Wednesday we will fire the spacecraft motors for 190 seconds (3.17 minutes) to take it to 267,000 km. On Nov 3, the motor firing will be for around 150 seconds (2.5 minutes) to take the spacecraft to 384,000 km," Annadurai said.

Till date, the spacecraft has expended around 340 kg of fuel of the lift off capacity of 819 kg. The spacecraft's motor firing Wednesday and Nov 3 would consume around 40-50 kg of fuel.

"Another 100 kg fuel might be expended to put Chandrayaan into its intended orbit near the moon, leaving sufficient quantities of fuel for the spacecraft to orbit for two years," he added.

Offline stanmarsh

  • Member
  • Posts: 18
  • Liked: 0
  • Likes Given: 1
chandrayaan-1 was scheduled to be pushed up to 348x199277 Kms. However as per the news article above, it was pushed only to 164600 Kms apogee. Can anyone hypothesize on the causes for this deviation ?

check this link for details on orbital maneuvers: http://www.isro.org/Chandrayaan/htmls/mission_sequence.htm

Offline Stephan

  • Veteran
  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 565
  • Paris
  • Liked: 1
  • Likes Given: 2
Best regards, Stephan

Offline hornbill2007

  • Member
  • Posts: 40
  • Liked: 1
  • Likes Given: 1
can anybody tell me why this site is showing a dismal altitude for chandrayaan-1?

http://n2yo.com/?s=33405

rgds

Offline Stephan

  • Veteran
  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 565
  • Paris
  • Liked: 1
  • Likes Given: 2
The word "live" is misleading, this site uses the TLE orbital elements (just like Heavens-Above or Calsky).
As long as the elements are not updated (by Space-Track most of the times), the trajectory shown will not be correct.
Best regards, Stephan

Offline stanmarsh

  • Member
  • Posts: 18
  • Liked: 0
  • Likes Given: 1
Latest update from ISRO: The terrain mapping camera on chandrayaan was turned on the earth and tested ! Here is the link: http://isro.org/pressrelease/Oct31_2008.htm


Offline stanmarsh

  • Member
  • Posts: 18
  • Liked: 0
  • Likes Given: 1


Offline stanmarsh

  • Member
  • Posts: 18
  • Liked: 0
  • Likes Given: 1
ISRO reports the craft is in its lunar transfer orbit:

http://isro.org/pressrelease/Nov04_2008.htm

On Nov 8th the engines will be fired to insert the craft into Lunar orbit.

Offline hornbill2007

  • Member
  • Posts: 40
  • Liked: 1
  • Likes Given: 1
TV reports says Chandrayaan has been successfully inserted into the lunar orbit. at at apogee of some 500km. initially it would be on an elliptical orbit. and then brought down to a near circular one around 100km from moon.
more confirmation needed, though!

Tags:
 

Advertisement NovaTech
Advertisement Northrop Grumman
Advertisement
Advertisement Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island
Advertisement Brady Kenniston
Advertisement NextSpaceflight
Advertisement Nathan Barker Photography
1