Chandrayaan-2 completes over 9,000 orbits around the Moon: ISRO
What's the story
India's Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft has completed more than 9,000 orbits around the Moon, and imaging and scientific instruments onboard have been providing excellent data, officials said on Monday. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is holding a two-day Lunar Science Workshop 2021, which began on Monday, to commemorate the completion of two years of operation of Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft around the lunar orbit.
Observations
Payloads onboard are conducting remote sensing observations of the Moon
In his inaugural address, ISRO Chairman, K Sivan said the eight payloads onboard the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft are conducting remote sensing and in-situ observations of the Moon at around 100 km altitude from the lunar surface. "Till date, the Chandrayaan-2 has completed more than 9,000 orbits around the Moon," added Sivan, also Secretary in the Department of Space (DoS).
Documents
Data product and science documents were released by Sivan
According to the Bengaluru-headquartered ISRO, data product and science documents were released by Sivan, along with data from Chandrayaan-2 orbiter payloads. "The science data are being made available for analysis by academia and institutes, for a greater participation to bring out more science from Chandrayaan-2 mission," ISRO said. Sivan said he has reviewed the science results, and found them to be "very much encouraging."
Instruments
Chandrayaan-2 has incorporated many new features: Former ISRO Chairman
Chairman of Apex Science Board, ISRO, AS Kiran Kumar said the imaging and scientific instruments onboard the Chandrayaan-2 satellite have been providing excellent data. "Chandrayaan-2 has really incorporated many new features in its instruments which are taking the observations carried out on Chandrayaan-1 to a newer and higher level," added Kiran Kumar, a former ISRO Chairman.
Performance
Imaging payloads have sent breathtaking pictures of the Moon
Project Director of Chandrayaan-2, Vanitha M, said all the sub-systems of the orbiter were performing well. "We hope that we can get good data from the spacecraft for many more years," she said. Vanitha said the imaging payloads of the orbiter, TMC-2 (Terrain Mapping Camera-2), IIRS (Imaging IR Spectrometer), and OHRC (Orbiter High Resolution Camera) have sent us breathtaking pictures of the Moon.