Chandrayaan-2 completes one year on Moon orbit

Chandrayaan-2 orbiter completed one year in orbit around the moon on August 20, 2020. The orbiter was successfully inserted into the Lunar orbit on August 20, 2019.

ISRO stated all instruments aboard Chandrayaan-2 orbiter are currently performing well and there is adequate onboard fuel to keep it operational for about seven more years,

Today #Chandrayaan2 completes one year on Moon orbit. #Chandrayaan2 was successfully inserted in to Lunar orbit on August 20, 2019.

For details visit: https://t.co/u9CUiuNJvA

— ISRO (@isro) August 20, 2020

Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter: Key Highlights

• The Chandrayaan-2 orbiter has completed more than 4,400 orbits around the Moon after one year of launch and all its instruments are currently performing well, as per ISRO.

• ISRO revealed that the orbiter is being maintained at a 100km (+/- 25 km) polar orbit with periodic orbit maintenance (OM) manoeuvres.

• So far, the orbiter has carried out 17 orbit maintenance manoeuvres since achieving 100 km lunar orbit on September 24, 2019.

• ISRO has assured that the orbiter has adequate onboard fuel to remain operational for about seven years.

Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter Equipments

• The Chandrayaan-2 orbiter is equipped with eight scientific instruments and payloads including high-resolution cameras for mapping the lunar surface and study the exosphere (outer atmosphere) of the Moon.

• The raw data received from the payloads have been downloaded at the Indian Space Science Data Centre (ISSDC) during the year.

• ISRO has planned a public data release by end of 2020, after validation by a formal peer review. According to the first-year observations, the orbiter can contribute significantly to lunar science.

• The orbiter's anticipated long life is expected to contribute much to the current resurgence of interest among the global scientific community for a sustained presence on the Moon.

Background 

Chandrayaan-2, India’s second lunar mission was launched on July 22, 2019 and inserted into the lunar orbit on August 20, exactly one year ago. Though ISRO's attempt to soft-land the Vikram lander, which was carrying the Pragyaan rover, on the lunar surface was not successful, the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, equipped with eight scientific instruments, was successfully placed in the lunar orbit and is functioning as expected.  

The Chandrayaan-2 mission was India's first attempt to make a soft landing on the unchartered South Pole of the lunar surface. However, Vikram lander crash-landed on Moon in September 2019. 

Chandrayaan-1, India’s first lunar mission was launched in 2008. The mission had given clear evidence on the extensive presence of surface water and the indication for subsurface polar water-ice deposits on the lunar surface.