India leaves its mark on the Moon
Chandrayaan, India’s solo mission to the Moon, is also symbolic of country’s footprints on the celestial body. On the first anniversary of Chandrayaan-1 launch, we recreate the magic of India’s mission to the Moon.
Did India’s maiden Moon mission Chandrayaan-1 find water on the lunar
surface before the project was aborted? There were indications on
Tuesday that it had. An announcement about a ‘‘major discovery’’ made by Chandrayaan-I is expected on Thursday, and the buzz is that this could be about water on the Moon.
If true, credit for this much-awaited discovery, however, could go to Nasa’s Moon
Minerology Mapper (M3), one of the payloads on board Chandrayaan. The Rs 386-crore craft was launched on October 22 last year and terminated on August 30 following a communication failure. One of the mission’s main goals was to sniff for water.
The local population is cheering on Operation Moon. “I have seen many launches, but this time it’s the moon we are aiming at,” says a woman who has a shop at the space centre gates. Shafiullah, a 28-year-old fisherman from Navipet village, 16 km away, says a launch means no work for him, as fishermen aren’t allowed to venture out to sea. “But we don’t mind that,” he says, “We’re thrilled at the thought of India leaving its mark on the moon.
Chandrayaan Finds Water On The Moon
NASA Thanks ISRO for Collaboration
Tags: Chandrayaan, Moon mission