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Speaker : Shri B R Guru Prasad
    Topic : “CHANDRAYAAN – 1”
India’s First Scientific Mission to the Moon
admin: Good Morning. Welcome to today's chat session on Chandrayaan. Shri Guru Prasad PRO from ISRO is here with us to answer your questions. Please join us in asking your questions.
admin: Welcome you all.
Vipin Kumar Sharma: Good morning everyone. This is Vipin Sharma from New Horizons India Limited
Shri B R Guru Prasad: Shri Anuj and shri Vipin , please ask your questions
Vipin Kumar Sharma: Dear Sir how was the overall experience when the module finally landed on the moon
Shri B R Guru Prasad: As a science communicator, I can tell you every one in the spacecraft control centre at Bangalore was elated when Moon Impact Probe, which separated from Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft orbiting the moon, reached lunar surface successfully at around 8:31 pm on November 14, 2008. Remember, it was Children's day, the birthday of Panditji during whose Prime Ministership, Indian Space programme was organised.
Anirban Paul: Sir, After the success of Chandrayaan-1, what is next plan?
Vipin Kumar Sharma: Sir, what are the other new initiative of ISRO?
Shri B R Guru Prasad: Additionally, Mr Sharma, the successful impact of the Moon Impact Probe was a culmination of the first phase of Chandrayaan-1 mission, which began with the launch of Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft in OUR OWN PSLV-C11 and later the spacecraft was sent to Moon which is about four lakh km away using its own rocket engine, put into an orbit around the moon and then sent a probe to impact on the moon. That probe, of course carried Indian tricolour to the lunar surface!
Shri B R Guru Prasad: Dear Anirban, India and Russia have signed an agreement on Chandrayaan-2, which will carry a lander and a rover (a wheeled robotic vehicle) to the lunar surface around 2011-12.
Anirban Paul: Sir, how is these missions going to help India?
Vipin Kumar Sharma: Sir, it was in the news that our's was the most cost effective successful mission? How did we do that? What there major technological difference that leads to the cost reduction?
arvind: Good Afternoon Sir,
amit: Gud morning sir
Shri B R Guru Prasad: Dear Vipin, at present, ISRO is busy in building a much heavier and efficient launch vehicle called GSLV-Mark III that can put a 4 ton satellite to an intermediate orbit called Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. Before that, our own cryogenic stage is expected to be used in the GSLV that is currently in use. And, a satellite called ASTROSAT is being built. Some more communication, navigation and remote sensing satellites are also being built.
amit: sir is there something chandrayaan 2 or 3 mission after chandrayaan 1missin
arvind: hello
Shri B R Guru Prasad: HI
Anirban Paul: I lost the link in between
Pallava Bagla: Mr. Guruprasad, What do the early results from Chandrayaan show?
arvind: Sir, How do the radioactive element mapping will be done by instrument?
Anirban Paul: Good Morning sir
amit: chandrayaan 2 or 3 is also there in the mission
deepakhadli: Hii sir,
Vipin Kumar Sharma: Sir, in terms of mandays efforts, how many mandays did Chandrayan 1 take till it got launched?
Shri B R Guru Prasad: Pallavji, the early results from some of the payloads have come in the form of conspicous pictures which are being analysed. So is the info from MiniSAR, M3 and C1XS. Shortly it will be discussed by the scientists who designed different payloads.
arvind: Sir, How do the radioactive element mapping will be done by instrument?
Shri B R Guru Prasad: Dear Amit, as I said earlier, Chandrayaan-2 is being planned and organised now.
amit: sir is this the standalone project by india or some other country has some involvement
deepakhadli: what is the orbital period of chandryaan arounds moon?
Shri B R Guru Prasad: Dear Arvind, an instrument called HEX jointly designed by Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad and ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore is capable of sensing radioactive 'heavey' isotopes like Uranium and Thorium
Anirban Paul: Sir, how do we mange to reduce the cost for these project?
Pallava Bagla: Are ISRO's international partners happy with the performance of Chandrayaan-1 so far?
mahesh bhatt: hi sir gug morning
Shri B R Guru Prasad: Deepa, Chandrayaan-1 is orbiting the moon once in roughtly two hours
arvind: but how does HEX work?
Shri B R Guru Prasad: vipin, Chandrayaan-1 project was organised in the beginning of 2004 and it was launched in less than five years later.
deepakhadli: What defines the life of Chandrayaan?
mahesh bhatt: What are Chandrayaan's scientific goals?
Shri B R Guru Prasad: Pallavji, As per their statements while talking about their payloads performance, for example Mini SAR and M3, etc., apparently they are satisfied
amit: sir How will mission controllers communicate with the spacecraft
Shri B R Guru Prasad: Amit, Chandrayaan-1 is a classic case of international cooperation. It carries 11 scientific instruments of which six were from abroad (from Britain, Germany, Sweden, The US and Bulgaria)
deepakhadli: What defines the life of Chandrayaan?
Vipin Kumar Sharma: Sir, does ISRO has some education wing to promote science and tech through out country or it depends organisation like Vigyan Prasar?
arvind: but how does HEX work?
Pallava Bagla: Guru, when can one expect at the earliest the first peer reviewed published scientific results of Chandrayaan-1?
Shri B R Guru Prasad: Arvind, HEX works by sensing the 'high energy' X-rays emitted by (naturally) radioactively decaying substances on the lunar surface
mahesh bhatt: Is there water-ice present on the Moon ,has something chandrayaan1 sended information
Shri B R Guru Prasad: Pallavji, please bear with us for a while
Shri B R Guru Prasad: amit, mission control communicates with the spacecraft using invisible radio commands and receives the health related info of chandrayaan-1 through radio
deepakhadli: What defines the life of Chandrayaan?
 amit: sir how close to Moon will Chandrayaan-1 come while orbiting the Moon
sanjeev: sir,how many payloads are used in chandrayaan?
Shri B R Guru Prasad: deepa, usually the life of a satellite or a spacecraft is dictacted by the amount of propellants carried by it that are required to maintain its orbit
Pallava Bagla: Guru, what is the magic behind ISRO delivering the Chandrayaan-1 satellite and mission with no cost or time over runs? Something very-very un-Indian by trait?
Prashant Shekhar: Hello everyone
Shri B R Guru Prasad: sanjeeve, all the 11 payloads of chandrayaan-1 have been switched ON and tested
Anirban Paul: Sir, how do we mange to reduce the cost for these project?
deepakhadli: Does the life depands on the solar panel as well?
amit: How close to Moon will Chandrayaan-1 come while orbiting the Moon
Shri B R Guru Prasad: Pallavji, that is the power of an unique entity called INDIA and the dedication and the enthusiasm with which ISRO staff, in whatever capacity, have worked together
Shri B R Guru Prasad: amit, chandrayaan-1 is now orbiting the moon at a distance of around 100 km height from THE LUNAR SURFACE
Shri B R Guru Prasad: deepa, to a certain extent, the degradation of the solar panel also has a bearing on the life of a satellite
sanjeev: What was the speed of moon probe while hit was hitting the surface of moon?
Anirban Paul: Will Chandrayaan-2 land on the moon?
Shri B R Guru Prasad: dear Mr V P Sharma, ISRO has what is known as Development and Educational Communication Unit which takes care of some of the activities about which you have mentioned
mahesh bhatt: sir what is the life of chandrayyan1
sanjeev: What was the speed of moon landing probe while hit was hitting the surface of moon?
Pallava Bagla: Guru agreed, but how come the entity called `India' is unable to deliver the same quality in other spheres, like say providing clean drinking water and good education to all? Your thoughts or may be we can chat later if you want?
Shri B R Guru Prasad: Anirban, that is what is being planned. It is planned to smoothly land on lunar surface and put a rover there
Shri B R Guru Prasad: sanjeev, I think it was about 5,000 km per hour
mahesh bhatt: sir what is the life of chandrayyan1
Anirban Paul: Sir when are we planning to take people (Indians) on the moon?
pradipti verma: Sir, What percentage of the space material was made in India?
sanjeev: does this 5000 is after applying moon 's gravity? which is 1/6 of earth?
Shri B R Guru Prasad: Pallavji, as a passionate science communicator and a person with firm belief in the beneficial aspects of space programmes in general and our space prograame in particular (not as PRO, ISRO, but as a proud Indian), I can say something on these aspects. A few years back, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singhji said ISRO is an organisation which is to be emulated
subrata: Sir, how is Chandrayyan mission is different form earlier six missions on moon?
Shri B R Guru Prasad: mahesh bhatt, Chandrayaan-1 was designed to work for about 2 years
Shri B R Guru Prasad: the spacecraft and its subsystems were entirely designed, developed and built in India mahesh bhatt: after two years what will happen with this
Shri B R Guru Prasad: sanjeev, yes
amit: sir,What are the scientific instruments onboard Chandrayaan-1
Shri B R Guru Prasad: mahesh bhatt, the minimum deisgn lifetime is two years. We have a remote sensing satellite orbiting the earth today that was designed to work for 3-5 years, nevertheless is working even today after 10 years!
mahesh bhatt: after two years what will happen with this
Prashant Shekhar: Sir, how many astronauts are you planning to send on lunar surface?
Prashant Shekhar: Sir, how many astronauts are you planning to send on lunar surface?
mahesh bhatt: when we get the overall outcome by this project
Anirban Paul: Sir when are we planning to take people (Indians) on the moon?
Shri B R Guru Prasad: amit, onboard Chandrayaan-1, we have two cameras, two X-ray spectrometer, a Laser ranging instrument, a Moon Impact Probe (which is not there now), two infrared spectrometers, an atom reflecting analyser, a special mini Radar and a Radiation dose monitor
Shri B R Guru Prasad: As of now, plans afoot for Chandrayaan-2 to send a lander and rover
mahesh bhatt: sir who is the main founder of this mission
Shri B R Guru Prasad: Prashant Shekar, what I meant was plans are afoot for building Chandrayaan-2 that carries an UNMANNED LANDER AND ROVER
Shri B R Guru Prasad: mahesh bhatt, the answer to your question is exploration and analysis is an ongoing process. Some of the data sent by Voyager spacecraft, I am sure, is being analysed even now
SCKAR: SIr, How much could we achieve and what we cound not achieve on what was initially planned for Chandraaan-i
amit: sir How is the spacecraft powered
Shri B R Guru Prasad: subrata, each spacecraft mission is unique in its own ways. But, there may be similarities. They can supplement and complement each other. There are ample examples for this at the global level in the past.
Shri B R Guru Prasad: Generally speaking, many of the main things which we wanted to achieve in Chandrayaan-1 have already been achieved, like launching it, sending it all the way to moon, more importantly putting it into an orbit around the moon and sending a probe to the lunar surface carrying our TRICOLOUR
Shri B R Guru Prasad: amit, spacecraft are powered usually (mostly) using solar panels having plenty of solar cells that convert solar energy into electrical eneergy
SCKAR: and what we could not achieve due to whatever reasons?
Prashant Shekhar: Sir, in coming years are you plannig to send a manned craft on lunar surface?
Shri B R Guru Prasad: Dear SCKAR, not to my knowledge
mahesh bhatt: is any pollution created by chandrayaan mission
Shri B R Guru Prasad: As of now, ISRO is concentrating on sending an unmanned lander and a rover in CY-2
Shri B R Guru Prasad: mahesh bhatt, I do not think so
SCKAR: does that mean, we did not learn any lesson from this exercise to be more careful and plan properly for our next missions?
Prashant Shekhar: Thank you so much sir for sharing such information with us, it was my pleasure talking to you. Shri B R Guru Prasad: Dear SCKAR, at the micro level, there are always such lessons which are learnt.
Shri B R Guru Prasad: prashant shekhar, the same holds good for me. I talked to all you people as an (if I can claim so!) experienced and passionate science communicatior and not as an official
SCKAR: Thanks Sir, I congratulate ISRO for the Chandrayaan project. How do we as ordinary citizen verify that chandrayaan is doing what it was meant for. Will we have to just believe what ISRO says?
Anirban Paul: It was great to talk to you. I congratulate for Chandrayan -1 and best wishes for the Chandrayan-2 project
Shri B R Guru Prasad: Dear SCKAR, the pictures and the radio signals which are regularly being received from Chandrayaan-1 speak for its triumph. Let me remind you, it is INDIA's TRIUMPH
 Shri B R Guru Prasad: anirban, it was a pleasure to answer your questions
SCKAR: Thank you Sir.
Shri B R Guru Prasad: SCKAR, thank you too, Sir
amit: sir could you provide your emailid for further queries
Shri B R Guru Prasad: gurubr@isro.gov.in
amit: thank you very much sir
Shri B R Guru Prasad: thank you amit
Anirban Paul: Thank you sir for your email address.
Vipin Kumar Sharma: Sir, thank you for sharing the information throught live chat. Best wishes for Chandrayan-II.
Shri B R Guru Prasad: thanks sharmaji
admin: Thank you all for participating in the live chat. We thank Shri Guru Prasad for answering all of your questions. We welcome you all to our future chat sessions. Thank you once again. We end the programme now.