
‘Great travelling with you’: Isro lightens the atmosphere before moon landing
Hours before India’s ambitious lunar mission Chandrayaan-2’s soft landing on the surface of the moon, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday posted a humorous message on Twitter featuring the spacecraft’s Lunar Orbiter extending good wishes to the Lander ahead of the historic moment.
“It was great travelling with you so far Vikram. Best of luck! I hope you reach the South Pole soon,” the Lunar Orbiter says while releasing Lander Vikram. To this Vikram replies, “It was quite the journey indeed! I’ll see you around - in the orbit.”
“We have the same wishes for Vikram, Orbiter. Want to stay in touch with Vikram and Pragyan as they make their way to the untouched lunar South Pole and uncover its many mysteries? Then keep an eye out for the next edition of CY2 Chronicles!,” the ISRO tweeted.
The Lander Vikram of Chandrayaan 2 is named after Dr Vikram A Sarabhai, the father of the Indian Space Programme. It is designed to function for one lunar day, which is equivalent to about 14 Earth days. Vikram has the capability to communicate with Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) at Byalalu near Bangalore, as well as with the orbiter and rover.
While the Lander weighing 1,471 kg is designed to execute a soft landing on the lunar surface, the Rover, a 6-wheeled robotic vehicle named Pragyan, can travel up to 500 m and it leverages solar energy for its functioning. It can only communicate with the Lander, which was separated from the orbiter on September 2 at 1.15 pm, entering a descending orbit around the Moon.
Pragyan is housed inside the Lander Vikram and it will roll out and deliver scientific payloads to conduct surface and subsurface experiments.
The lander is expected to touch down near the South Pole of the Moon in the early hours of Saturday morning.
With this, India will become the first country to land close to the lunar South Pole on its first attempt.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be at the ISRO around midnight to watch the event. Over 60 high school students across the country who cleared an online space quiz last month will watch the soft landing of the mission with the Prime Minister.
The Chandrayaan 2 spacecraft will be the first Indian expedition to carry out a soft landing on the lunar surface. This mission will make India the fourth country after the US, Russia, and China to conduct a soft landing on the moon.
After revolving around the Earth’s orbit for nearly 23 days, the craft began its journey to the moon on August 14. The mission took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on July 22.
India’s second mission to the moon was approved by the cabinet in September 2008, just before the launch of Chandrayaan 1.

Farmers’ protest: Chilla, Ghazipur, other key Delhi borders remain closed

UP police lodge FIR after misleading pamphlets on Covid-19 vaccine shots appear

Srinagar: Mercury rises a bit, night temperature at -6.4°C

Security forces carry out Republic Day parade rehearsals

Bihar bound Shaheed Express derail at Charbagh Railway Station; no casualties

Supreme Court hearing on farmers’ tractor rally on R-Day today

Bengal: Co-WIN hurdle continues to plague Covid vaccination drive

India records 13,788 new Covid-19 cases, 145 deaths in 24 hours

Adverse events post Covid-19 immunisation: Here’s all you need to know

Man arrested for rape of 13-year-old mute girl in Bihar village

News updates from HT: FIR registered in against makers of web series 'Tandav'

Women health workers take lead over men in Covid vaccination in UP

15% dip in India’s Covid-19 cases in week vaccination drive commenced

Glad that schools are opening in Delhi today, tweets Manish Sisodia
