The Future of Chandrayaan-2: What Happens to the Orbiter After the Lunar Lander Crash

Introduction to Chandrayaan-2

Chandrayaan-2, launched on July 22, 2019, by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), was the second lunar mission for India. Its primary objectives were to study the lunar surface and search for water.

Crash of the Vikram Lander

On September 7, 2019, the Vikram lander attempted a historic touchdown on the Moon's south pole. Unfortunately, it lost contact with ground control approximately 2.1 kilometers above the lunar surface. The ISRO officially confirmed that the lander had crashed.

Potential Causes of the Crash

Several theories have emerged regarding the reasons behind the crash:

Was there a software bug or hardware failure that caused the lander to lose control?

Was the selected landing site more challenging than anticipated, with hidden rocks or obstacles?

Could a combination of both technical issues and environmental challenges have led to the crash?

Investigation and Findings

The ISRO continues to investigate the exact cause. On November 16, 2019, the Failure Analysis Committee provided a report to the Space Commission, pinning the cause on a software glitch. During the first phase of descent from 30 km to 7.4 km, the lander performed as intended, reducing its velocity from 1683 m/s to 146 m/s.

Vikram's landing engines were designed to throttle between 40 to 100 in increments of 20. However, this method proved insufficient for adjusting the lander's velocity effectively in the second phase of descent. Coupled with other control and guidance issues, this resulted in a velocity that was higher than expected, causing Vikram to impact the lunar surface harshly.

Future of Chandrayaan-2

Despite the setback from the Vikram lander crash, the Chandrayaan-2 mission is not over. The orbiter and the Pragyan rover continue to operate and collect valuable data:

ISRO Orbiter

The orbiter is continuing its mission to map the lunar surface and perform scientific experiments. This includes imaging studies, mineralogical surveys, and measuring the surface temperature.

Pragyan Rover

Pragyan, the rover, remains operational, albeit with limited capabilities due to its primary mission ending after the crash. However, it continues to send data and maintain communication with the control center.

Conclusion

The Chandrayaan-2 mission, though not achieving its full objectives with the Vikram lander, remains a significant achievement in India's space exploration efforts. The continued operation of the orbiter and the rover highlights the resilience and determination of the ISRO team to extract maximum value from this lunar mission.