Chandrayaan 2 Mission Essay: Objective, Success
“Chandrayaan 2” was a prequel mission to “Chandrayaan 3”. It is a partially successful mission as the orbiter part of the “Chandrayaan 2” is still carrying out its operations and the lander crashed in the Moon’s southern hemisphere in 2019. It will continue its seven-year mission to study the Moon. As well as it observes the key findings of “Chandrayaan 1” in detail (Completed by “Chandrayaan 3″) .”Chandrayaan 2” was launched by ISRO during the tenure of Sivan Kailasavadivoo (K. Sivan). Today we will discuss “Chandrayaan 2” in depth.
Chandrayaan 2 Mission – Overview
“Chandrayaan 2” is a three-in-one spacecraft developed by ISRO with all in all Indian technologies with eight payloads. Here are the design specifications and initial mission-related information of “Chandrayaan 2”.
Launch Date |
22th July, 2019 |
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Launch Vehicle |
GSLV Mk III Fat Boy |
Launch Site |
Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, India |
Launch Mass (Orbiter) |
~2,379 kg |
Mission Tenure |
~1 year (extended) |
Objectives |
|
Launch Mass – Lander (Vikram) |
~1,471 kg |
Payload |
Pragyan Rover |
Objectives |
|
Mass – Rover (Pragyan) |
~27 kg |
Power Source |
Solar panels |
Objectives |
|
Total Weight |
Around 3,877 KGs |
Essay on Chandrayaan 2 Mission
Chandrayaan 2 Objective
The mission objective of “Chandrayaan 2” was to perform topographical and mineralogical research on the Moon. Below are the aim of Chandrayaan 2 Mission.
- Try to collect evidence against the presence of water on the Moon’s surface.
- Study the extent and distribution of water.
- Study the topography and seismography of the lunar surface and atmosphere.
- Particularly study the South Pole of the Moon to find the fossil records of the early solar system,
- Prepare a 3-dimensional map of the Moon.
After the success of “Chandrayaan-3,” ISRO is now using the “Chandrayaan 2” orbiter as a backup communication link with the Vikram lander.
Payload Used in Chandrayaan 2
There are eight major payloads were attached with “Chandrayaan 2”. Here are the details of those payloads as mentioned below:
Payload Name |
Work of the Payloads |
---|---|
Terrain Mapping Camera 2 (TMC 2) |
|
Large Area Soft X-ray Spectrometer |
|
Solar X-ray Monitor (XSM) |
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Orbiter High Resolution Camera (OHRC) |
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Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) |
|
Imaging Infrared Spectrometer (IIRS) |
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Chandra Atmospheric Composition Explorer 2 (ChACE-2) |
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Dual Frequency Radio Science (DFRS) experiment |
|
Success of Chandrayaan 2
According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the “Chandrayaan 2” mission was 95 % successful and it was not a complete success. The spacecraft entered the Lunar Transfer Trajectory on 14th August 2019. On 20th August it successfully entered the Elliptical Orbit as well. It indicates that “Chandrayaan 2’s” lunar orbit insertion was successful.
The mission was considered a partial success because, in the final stage before the soft land, Vikarm Lander lost all communication with ISRO when it was just 2.1 km above the moon’s surface.
Why Chandrayaan 2 Failed to Softland on Moon’s surface?
“Chandrayaan 2’s” inability to achieve a soft landing resulted from a series of events initiated by a valve failure, causing excess fuel to enter the engines. This led to increased thrust, disrupting the lander’s orientation. A software glitch prevented the correction of this disturbance.
Significance of Chandrayaan 2
The “Chandrayaan 2” mission plays a major role in advancing our understanding of the cosmos. Let’s discuss the significance of this mission.
- “Chandrayaan 2” was a significant mission for the Indian Space Research.
- It initiated the process of exploring the moon’s South Pole.
- Scientists think there might be water at the moon’s South Pole because it’s mostly in the shadow.
- The mission helps us learn more about the moon and its potential resources.
- “Chandrayaan 2” detected the presence of Argon-40 in the moon’s exosphere.
- “Chandrayaan 2” took pictures of the Sarabhai Crater on the moon’s northeast side.
Recent Awards Received By ISRO
With the “Chandrayaan 3” mission, ISRO achieved the historic soft landing near the Moon’s South Pole on August 23, 2023. With this achievement, India became the first nation to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon’s south pole. On 20th December 2023, ISRO received the Leif Erikson Lunar Prize for its Chandrayaan-3 mission. The prize was awarded by the Exploration Museum in Husavik, Iceland.
Chandrayaan 2 Mission Essay – FAQs
What is the “Chandrayaan 2” mission?
Chandrayaan-2 is ISRO’s second mission to study the Moon. It was a prequel mission to “Chandrayaan 3”.
When “Chandrayaan 2” launched?
“Chandrayaan 2” was launched on 22th July in the year of 2019.
What was the design structure of “Chandrayaan 2”?
It is a three in on spacecraft which consists of an orbiter, Vikram lander, and Pragyan rover.
What were the key findings of “Chandrayaan 2”?
“Chandrayaan 2” confirmed the presence of water molecules on the lunar surface aso identified hydroxyl and water ice in the soil. It mapped the lunar surface and discovered unusual magnetic anomalies.
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