Vikram Lander Lifts Off and Nails Re-Landing in Chandrayaan-3 Moon Hop

Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 07:32am on 04 Sep 2023,Monday Science

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has succeeded in making its Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander Vikram lift off and re-land softly a second time on the moon's surface. ISRO commanded Vikram's engines to fire, raising it about 40cm before touching down 30-40cm away. ISRO shared video capturing the smooth manoeuvre. All of Vikram's systems performed well in the hop experiment, and instruments were redeployed post-jump. The lander and Pragyan rover will soon enter hibernation as the lunar night approaches, after excelling in their mission. India has proven its ability to precisely control Vikram's launch and landing twice on the moon.

Read More at Hindustan Times

India's Lunar Rover Completes Moon Walk, Data Analyzed for Signs of Water

Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 08:45am on 03 Sep 2023,Sunday Science

India's lunar rover has finished its historic walk across the moon's surface near the south pole after less than two weeks. The rover was put into sleep mode as the lunar daylight ended, according to India's space agency. It completed its assignments and transmitted the data collected back to Earth via the lander before shutting down. The rover and lander were only expected to operate for one lunar day. Now the rover's battery is fully charged and its solar panel positioned to receive light when the next sunrise occurs in a few weeks. Scientists are analyzing the data gathered, looking for signs of frozen water.

Read More at Independent

ISRO Preps Chandrayaan-3 for Lunar Night Hibernation

Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 03:05pm on 02 Sep 2023,Saturday Science

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing to put the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission into sleep mode as the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover near the end of their planned 14-day exploration period, said agency chief S Somanath. With lunar night temperatures expected to plunge below -200°C, he stated Saturday that the still-functional lander and rover, which has travelled over 100m, will hibernate in the next 1-2 days. Chandrayaan-3 was launched in July and is India's third moon mission seeking to demonstrate soft landing capabilities. ISRO will monitor the spacecraft during its dormant winter phase.

Read More at Hindustan Times

Meet Nigar Shaji, Project Director of Solar Mission Aditya-L1

Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 08:37am on 02 Sep 2023,Saturday Science

Nigar Shaji, a native of Tamil Nadu's Tenkasi district, is leading India's prestigious Aditya-L1 mission to study the Sun. As project director, her talent steered the country's first solar odyssey when Aditya-L1 launched successfully on Sunday. Shaji studied in Shengottai and joined ISRO in 1987. While Chandrayaan 3's director is also Tamil, it is Shaji making headlines now. Her leadership of Aditya-L1 highlights Tamil Nadu's enduring contribution to India's space achievements. As this Tamil scientist took charge, India's historic solar voyage launched successfully. With Aditya-L1 in space, the nation's solar odyssey is in safe hands under Shaji.

Read More at New Indian Express

India Launches Pioneering Aditya L1 Mission to Study the Sun

Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 06:48am on 02 Sep 2023,Saturday Science

India has launched its first ever solar mission, Aditya L1, just 10 days after landing a spacecraft on the moon's south pole. The spacecraft blasted off atop a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket from Sriharikota at 11:50am local time. Aditya L1 will initially enter Low Earth Orbit before firing its onboard engines to journey 1.5 million km over 4 months to a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L1. It will stabilize at this gravitationally balanced position to conduct observations. According to the Indian Space Research Organisation, Aditya L1 is India's first observatory-class mission dedicated to studying the Sun's atmosphere. The pioneering spacecraft will provide new insights on our star.

Read More at Sky News

Live: ISRO's First-Ever Solar Mission, Aditya L1 Launch

Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 06:17am on 02 Sep 2023,Saturday Science

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched its first-ever solar mission, Aditya L1, on Saturday at 11:50am (IST) aboard a PSLV rocket. The satellite will initially orbit Earth for 16 days before embarking on its 125-day, 1.5 million km journey to the L1 halo orbit around the Sun. Aditya L1 will conduct remote observations of the solar corona and in-situ measurements of solar winds, furthering solar study. The lift-off from Sriharikota space center for the pivotal mission happened as scheduled. Live coverage on Shorts.91 via ISRO's YouTube channel.

Read More at Shorts91

Countdown Begins for ISRO's Aditya-L1 Solar Mission Launch on September 2

Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 11:51am on 01 Sep 2023,Friday Science

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has commenced the countdown for the launch of its Aditya-L1 solar mission. The mission, slated to launch on September 2, will study the Sun from a Lagrangian point about 1.5 million km from Earth. ISRO chief S Somanath confirmed the spacecraft and rocket are ready for the scheduled 11:50 am launch from Sriharikota. Aditya-L1 will be India's first solar observatory, providing remote and in-situ observations of the solar corona and solar wind. The fully indigenous mission involves multiple Indian research institutions. The countdown started on September 1 for the launch of the PSLV-C57 rocket carrying the Aditya-L1 satellite to begin India's first dedicated solar study mission.

Read More at Mint

ISRO Releases Endearing Video of Chandrayaan-3 Rover Pragyaan Gazing at Mother Earth

Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 03:02pm on 31 Aug 2023,Thursday Science

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has released an endearing video of the Chandrayaan-3 rover rotating on the lunar surface. Captured on August 29 by the lander's camera, the clip shows the rover scout a safe path as the Vikram lander overlooks like a watchful mother. ISRO affectionately compared the visuals to a child playfully frolicking while their mother gazes on. The video comes a day after the Pragyan rover snapped an image of the Chandrayaan-3 lander, India's historic first spacecraft to soft land on the Moon's south pole on August 23.

Read More at Mint

Smile Please!

Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 09:45am on 30 Aug 2023,Wednesday Science

ISRO shared an image of the Vikram lander captured by the Pragyan rover’s navigation camera on Wednesday morning. As informed by ISRO on Tuesday, the rover has detected several elements like sulphur, aluminium, iron, silicon, and oxygen near the unexplored lunar south pole region. ISRO confirmed these breakthrough findings by the rover's LIBS instrument, underscoring Chandrayaan-3's immense scientific potential. The six-wheeled solar rover steered to safer terrain earlier this week after spotting a precariously close crater edge. The imaging and discoveries highlight the mission's progress in advancing the lunar surface study and heralding more insights ahead.

Read More at Shorts91

ISRO: Pragyan rover confirmed presence of Sulphur, detected Oxygen on moon; search for Hydrogen underway

Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 06:30pm on 29 Aug 2023,Tuesday Science

On Tuesday, the Indian Space Research Organisation announced that an instrument on its Chandrayaan-3 lunar rover has detected the presence of sulphur and other elements on the Moon's surface. This is the first time direct evidence of lunar sulphur has been found. The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy instrument made the in-situ measurements near the lunar South Pole. Previously, instruments on orbiting spacecraft were unable to unambiguously confirm the presence of sulphur. The discovery provides new insights into the composition of the Moon's surface.

Read More at The Indian Express

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