The Science of India's Chandrayaan-2 Mission at the South Pole of the Moon

The Indian space research organization is about to launch its Chandrayaan-2 mission on Sunday, July 14, with the goal of deploying a lander and rover where no one has yet dared – the south pole of the moon.

It is a region generally rich in water ice and solar light, two essential elements of future human missions on Mars. So you can think of the Indian spacecraft as a scout for the astronauts who will perhaps follow a year – from 2024, if the Trump administration's instructions to NASA unfold as expected.

This means that the science of Chandrayaan-2 in India will be useful for planning these future human missions. In addition, learn more about the geological history of the Moon will tell us about other rocky body of the solar system in the tenuous atmosphere, such as Mercury. By studying a world, we can often draw conclusions about others.

Related: The long lost lunar probe from India found by NASA's radar

Chandrayaan-2 will build on the work of its predecessor orbital mission Chandrayaan-1, who is best known for helping to discover water molecules on the moon ten years ago. The mission costs about $ 140 million, according to the Times of India.

Coincidentally, Chandrayaan-2 will also be launched on July 20, just days before the 50th anniversary of the first landing on a human moon, Apollo 11.

Here's what the new orbiter, lander and rover will do.

Mission Profile

(Image credit: Indian Space Research Organization)

Let's start with the rocket of the spacecraft, called the geosynchronous satellite satellite launcher Mark-III. It is a three-story vehicle presented as the most powerful launcher of India. According to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the rocket will launch and eventually place the probe in a terrestrial orbit. It's a stable circle around the planet that allows mission controllers to check the spacecraft orbiter and attached lander, and make sure everything is fine.

From there, Chandrayaan-2 will be placed on a lunar transfer path – its path to the moon.

The probe will launch its engines once again in the vicinity of the Moon to fit into a lunar orbit, then rotate gradually to get closer to reach a circular orbit of 100 km above the Moon. Then it will be time for the 5,200 lbs. (2,400 kilograms) orbiter and 3,200 lb (1,500 kg) LG to begin their separate missions.

"On the day of landing, the LG will separate from the orbiter and then perform a series of complex maneuvers," said ISRO.

The lander is Vikram, according to the founder of the Indian space program Vikram Sarabhai, according to the planetary society. After taking the right path, Vikram will land between two craters called Manzinus C and Simpelius N, about 70 degrees south of the equator.

The next act of Vikram will be to deploy a 60 lb. (27 kg) rover, called Pragyan ("wisdom" in Sanskrit). Pragyan is designed to travel a maximum distance of 0.5 km and last about one lunar day, equivalent to 14 Earth days.

The rover will send his scientific data back to Vikram, who can either communicate with the spacecraft in orbit, or directly with the Indian network of deep space, the company added. Even after the end of mobile operations, the orbiter should continue to operate for about a year.

Scientific instruments

Chandrayaan-2 will present the science made by Chandrayaan-1 a decade ago. ISRO said that he wanted to know more about the history and evolution of the moon's origin by examining its topography, mineralogy and more.

"We will also explore the discoveries made by Chandrayaan-1, such as the presence of water molecules on the moon and new types of rocks with a unique chemical composition," ISRO officials said.

The following instrument descriptions are based on information from his website.

The orbiter is equipped with two cameras – a terrain mapping camera and a high resolution Orbiter Camera (OSC) – to provide detailed maps of the surface. The OHRC will also help Vikram arrive safely by searching for craters or rocks before the LG separates.

Information on the composition of the moon will be transmitted via a pair of spectrometers: the soft surface X-ray spectrometer (CLASS) and an infrared spectrometer. A synthetic aperture radar will search for water ice and will also estimate the thickness of the ground (regolith). The orbiter also has instruments for observing solar X-rays and the tenuous atmosphere of the moon (or exosphere).

(Image credit: Indian Space Research Organization)

The Vikram Lander has three main instruments.

• The radio-anatomy instrument of the ionosphere and hypersensitive atmosphere related to the moon (RAMBHA) will examine the temperature density of electrons near the lunar surface. The instrument will also examine how plasma, or superheated gas, changes near the lunar surface in different solar conditions.
• The surface thermo-physical experiment of Chandra (CHASTE) examines in detail the lunar surface. It will be learned how the temperature varies with depth and how far the surface conducts heat. It includes a thermal probe (sensors and a heating element) that will be inserted into the regolith at a maximum depth of 4 inches (10 centimeters).
• The instrument for lunar seismic activity (ILSA) will listen to the moon tremors. The seismometer is designed to "detect the slightest movement of the ground, the speed or acceleration caused by lunar earthquakes," according to ISRO.

The Pragyan rover, meanwhile, will have two instruments.

• An alpha particle X – ray spectrometer (APXS) will study the elemental composition of the moon around the landing site. The instrument bombards the surface with X-rays (or alpha particles) and then examines the result. This will allow the instrument to identify elements known to build rocks on the moon, such as sodium, magnesium, and aluminum. It can also capture micronutrients such as strontium or zirconium.
• A laser-induced degradation spectroscope (LIBS) will also look for elements, but more by their abundance. "To do this, it triggers high-power laser pulses at various locations and analyzes the radiation emitted by the decaying plasma," said ISRO.

The mission also includes a NASA Network of Small Laser Retroreflectors "understand the dynamics of the lunar system of the Earth and draw clues to it inside the moon," said ISRO. Like some Apollo and Lunokhod missions that have landed on the Moon in recent decades, this set will allow scientists to shoot lasers from Earth to a reflector, which will bounce the signal back to Earth. They will then draw scientific data from the measurement of the dispersion (spreading) of the laser on its return, as well as the time required for the laser to return.

Visit Space.com on Sunday, July 14 at 5pm. EDT (21:00 GMT / 0230 July 15 IST) for a live webcast of the Chandrayaan-2 Indian Mission. You can watch it live here on Space.com and directly from ISRO here.

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