Chandrayaan I (Sanskrit: चंद्रयान-1, lit: Lunar Craft), is an unmanned lunar mission by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The mission includes a lunar orbiter as well as an impactor. The spacecraft will be launched by a modified version of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Chandrayaan-1 heads closer to its destination!

India’s mission towards moon took a step ahead when the fourth orbit-raising manoeuvre of Chandrayaan-1 was carried out successfully on Wednesday, October 29. The space craft was successfully raised to its fourth orbit in the morning around 7.30. This achievement has been revealed in a statement released by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Bangalore. ISRO stated that during the course of the operation at the spacecraft’s 440 Newton liquid engine was fired for about three minutes.

Mr. M. Annadurai-the Project Director of
Chandrayaan-1 said that everything went on according to the plan. With this, the lunar spacecraft has moved closer to the moon. Now, the Chandrayaan-1 has made its entry into a more elliptical orbit whose apogee (farthest point to earth) lies at 2,67,000 km while the perigee (nearest point to earth) lies at 465 km. Thus, it implies the fact that the spacecraft’s present orbit extends more than half the way to the moon.

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