New Delhi:
Chandrayaan-2 is all set to make a soft landing on the moon's surface on September 7, 2019 between 1.30 am and 2.30 am. With Chandrayaan-2’s successful landing on the Moon, ISRO will create a history. Hours before Chandrayaan-2’s successful landing on the Moon, ISRO took to Twitter to post a cartoon in which the lunar orbiter wishes lander Vikram good luck in the imagined conversation.
In the imagined conversation, ISRO said, "It was great travelling with you so far Vikram. Best of luck! I hope you reach the South Pole soon," the lunar orbiter says as it releases lander Vikram, which replies, "It was quite the journey indeed! I'll see you around - in the orbit." "We have the same wishes for Vikram, Orbiter," ISRO added.
Take a look:
We have the same wishes for Vikram, Orbiter.
— ISRO (@isro) September 6, 2019
Want to stay in touch with Vikram and Pragyan as they make their way to the untouched lunar South Pole and uncover its many mysteries? Then keep an eye out for the next edition of #CY2Chronicles! pic.twitter.com/2iA8W2lxtR
It is worth mentioning here that lander Vikram successfully separated from the orbiter on Monday, entering a descending orbit around the moon. According to the ISRO, lander Vikram already performed two manoeuvres to lower its altitude for touchdown between 1:30 am and 2:30 am on Saturday. As soon as Chandrayaan-2 lands, the mission will make India the fourth country after Russia, the US and China to pull off a soft landing on the Moon.
Also Read: Chandrayaan 2 Soft-Landing On Moon Tomorrow, Know Where And How To Watch Live
Also Read: Chandrayaan-2: ISRO explains how soft landing of Vikram will take place
After Chandrayaan-2 has landed, rover Pragyan will roll out and deliver scientific payloads to conduct surface and subsurface experiments. In the meantime, lunar orbiter will also conduct experiments - to map the surface and study the Moon's outer atmosphere. Vikram and Pragyan are expected be active for a period of one lunar day (14 Earth days), while the orbiter is expected to remain active for a year.
Chandrayaan-2, India's second lunar mission, was successfully launched on July 22, 2019 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on-board GSLV Mk-III. In Chandrayaan-2, a total of 13 payloads are distributed across the three modules where the Orbiter and Vikram Lander are stacked upon each other whereas the Pragyan Rover is housed inside the lander. The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft weighs approximately 3290 kilograms. The cost of the mega-project is Rs 978 crore.
