Chandrayaan 2 aims to explore the dark side of the moon

Chandrayaan 2 aims to explore the dark side of the moon
36 views

Down To Earth
82,032 subscribers
Published on 11 Jul 2019
Chandrayaan-2 is set to launch on July 15 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. Chandrayaan 2, which is India’s second mission to the Moon, aims to venture the satellite’s south polar region, which is also known as the dark side of the moon.

The moon’s south pole is much larger and unexplored than the North Pole. ISRO believes Studies in the lunar South Pole will help understand the origin and evolution of satellite. The South Pole has craters that are cold traps and contain a fossil record of the early solar system and Chandrayaan 2 aims to extensively map the lunar surface to study variations in lunar surface composition to trace back the origin and evolution of the Moon.

ISRO also aims to study the extent of water molecule distribution on the lunar surface. As there is a need for further studies of the evidence for water molecules discovered by Chandrayaan-1. ISRO believes there is a possibility of the presence of water in permanently shadowed areas around the south pole.

So, WHAT MAKES CHANDRAYAAN-2 SPECIAL?

· 1st space mission that might do a soft landing in the region
· 1st Indian expedition to attempt a soft landing with home-grown tech
· 1st Indian mission to explore the lunar terrain with home-grown tech
· 4th country ever to soft-land on the moon

Chandrayaan 2 has been allocated Rs 978 crore, including Rs 603 crore for the space segment and Rs 375 crore as launch costs on GSLV Mk III. And with Chandrayaan 2 ISRO hopes to get new insights to further lunar expeditions in coming years.