Exploring uncharted territory: ISRO eyeing to launch Chandrayaan-II rover in Moon's south pole for the first time
Looking to explore a uncharted territory, space agency ISRO will attempt to launch a rover of Chandrayaan 2 in the lunar South pole for the first time. According to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Sivan, till date nobody has made an attempt to land a rover in the region. It has been only near the equator of the Moon.
Earlier this week, ISRO had said all three modules of the moon mission -- Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan)-- were getting ready for the launch scheduled in July and the lander was expected to touch down on the lunar surface in early September.
ISRO has kept the launch window for the mission onboard GSLV MK-III rocket from July 9 to July 16 with an expected Moon landing on September 6, Sivan told reporters. The Orbiter and Lander modules will be interfaced mechanically and stacked together as an integrated module and accommodated inside the launch vehicle. The Rover is housed inside the Lander.
On ISRO's proposed Aditya-L1 mission, Sivan said currently scientists were exploring possibilities to study more about Sun. "To learn about Sun orbit, we will be sending Aditya-L1 during the first half of next year", he said.The mission is aimed at observing the solar corona, the outer layers of the Sun.
The satellite would be inserted in a halo orbit around the L1 (Lagrangian point 1) of the Sun-Earth system so that it has the advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation or eclipses. The L1 is 1.5 million kms from the Earth.
On a question about tracking cyclone Fani, he said, with the details provided by ISRO, officials were able to forecast the landfall area and this helped in taking precautionary measures in advance. "Due to tracking conditions, we have been able to minimise the impact caused in terms of casualties...," he said.
Cyclone 'Fani' hit Odisha Friday, packing rain andwindstorm that gusted up to 175 kmph, leaving at least three people dead, blowing away thatched houses, and swamping towns and villages.
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