Chandrayaan-2 mission cheaper than Hollywood film Interstellar

Authored by timesofindia.indiatimes.com and submitted by TakeItEasyPolicy

Chandrayaan-2 mission: Rover to spend 14 days on moon's surface, says Isro chief Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is leaving no stone unturned to make the Chandrayaan-2 mission a success. 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.

Isro plans landing near moon’s south pole with Chandrayaan-2 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.

NEW DELHI: India's upcoming Rs 800-crorewill be cheaper than Hollywood's 2014 sci-fi movie 'Interstellar' that cost Rs 1,062 crore ($165 million). In fact, Isro 's earlier Mars mission (Rs 470 crore) launched in 2013 was also cheaper than another Hollywood space movie 'Gravity' (whose budget was Rs 644 crore or $100 million) made in the same year. So, what makes Indian Space Research Organisation 's space and interplanetary missions cost-effective?In an exclusive interview with TOI, Isro chairman Dr K Sivan explained the frugal nature of their space and interplanetary missions. He said, "Simplifying the system, miniaturising the complex big system, strict quality control and maximising output from a product make our space missions frugal and cost-effective. We keep strict vigil on each and every stage of development of a spacecraft or a rocket and, therefore, we are able to avoid wastage of products, which helps us minimise the mission cost."Isro will try to launch the Chandrayaan-2 mission, involving a soft-landing on the moon's surface and rover walk, sometime in April. However, there are various factors like moon's relative position with respect to the Earth that will decide the launch date. Dr Sivan said, "We are trying for a dawn-to-dusk landing and rover walk on the lunar's mission for maximum utilisation of the scientific mission. If we are not able to land in April due to various factors, then the mission will be launched in November. If we launch between April and Novemberwe won't get the perfect dawn-to-dusk landing and experiment time due to moon eclipses, therefore, we will avoid the launch in between. The perfect timing for the launch comes only once in a month."Unlike Nasa 's Apollo and Russia's Luna missions where the rover landed on the equatorial region of the moon, Isro is planning to land the rover near the south pole. The Isro chairman said, "We have chosen the landing site near the south pole as it has big rocks that are billions of years old. Analysing these rocks and the surface will help us explore the moon better and enrich our understanding of the universe." After soft-landing, the six-wheeled rover will get detached from the lander and move 100-200 metre on the moon’s surface and analyse content. It will remain active for 14 earth days (one lunar day) and send back data and images to the Earth via the orbiter within 15 minutes.Asked about Russia’s initial participation in the Chandrayaan-2 mission, Dr Sivan said, “Earlier, Russia promised us to provide a rover for the mission. However, Isro scientists wanted their own rover. During that period, Russia’s Phobos-Grunt mission for Mars involving the lander failed. Russia then wanted to buy time to correct the fault that led to the mission failure. Keeping the circumstances in mind, Isro then planned to develop own rover and lander. Therefore, it’s a completely indigenous programme now.”He said simulations tests on different Chandrayaan-2 components had been going on at Isro centres in Bengaluru, Mahendragiri and Chitradurga, Karnataka. Isro, in fact, created some artificial ‘lunar craters’ as part of ‘hazard avoidance and landing’ tests.

nwarriorch on February 20th, 2018 at 13:33 UTC »

An impressive fact no one seems to talk about is. This is India’s first lunar lander mission. Instead of choosing an easier landing spot on the equator.

They are choosing to land on the South Pole on the far side of the moon. Where no space craft has ever gone. Landing on the far side means there is no line of sight communication and the lander will have to use the orbiter to communicate.

If the Indians are able to pull this off. I am looking forward to the science that comes out of this mission.

Wang_Dangler on February 20th, 2018 at 07:41 UTC »

One day, it will be cheaper to film space movies on location than use all that pricey special effects wizardry.

FaceDeer on February 20th, 2018 at 05:27 UTC »

The infographic in that article appears to show the lander parachuting down to the Lunar surface. Perhaps they should boost the budget a smidge?

(I know it's just a bad infographic. Still, amusing.)