Remembering Chandrayaan 2: Four Years Since Mission's Vikram Lander Crash-Landed On Moon

On 7th September 2019, ISRO's Vikram lander from Chandrayaan-2 mission crash landed on the moon. Here is a brief look back into this iconic mission that paved way for the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission.

Wikimedia Commons

The Chandrayaan-2 mission embarked on its successful journey on July 22nd, 2019, at 14:43 hrs, when the GSLV MkIII-M1 launched it from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota. Following a series of Earth-bound maneuvers, the spacecraft transitioned into its Lunar Transfer Trajectory (LTT) on August 14th.

Wikimedia Commons

On August 20th, the Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) maneuver was executed, effectively placing Chandrayaan-2 into a stable elliptical orbit around the Moon. Subsequently, a sequence of Lunar-bound orbit adjustments were conducted to refine the orbit into a circular polar one.

Wikimedia Commons

At present, the Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter gracefully orbits the Moon, maintaining an altitude of 100 km x 100 km. On September 2nd, the Vikram lander detached from the Orbiter, and a de-orbiting maneuver was executed, lowering its orbit to 35 km x 101 km.

Wikimedia Commons

The Vikram lander aimed for a historic touchdown on September 7th, following a meticulously planned descent trajectory from its orbit at 35 km down to just about 2 km above the lunar surface. However, communication between the lander and ground station was unfortunately lost during this critical phase.

Wikimedia Commons

Until that point, the Lander had been performing remarkably, with all systems and sensors functioning admirably, showcasing innovative technologies like variable thrust propulsion.

Wikimedia Commons

Despite the setback with the lander, the Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter remains in excellent health, with all its scientific payloads operational.

Wikimedia Commons

The mission carried eight experimental payloads onboard, designed to study lunar surface geology, composition, and exospheric measurements. These measurements contribute to the ongoing accumulation of knowledge about the Moon, building upon the insights gained from previous lunar missions.

Wikimedia Commons