Chandrayaan-2 will try out new ideas, technologies

Ramnath Shenoy
Bangalore, Sep 7 (PTI) Chandrayaan-2, the proposed
second Indian mission to moon, would undertake "extremely
good" experiments and try out new technologies but
accommodating foreign payloads on board does not appear to be
a possibility at this stage.
The first edition of the moon odyssey had six foreign
payloads and five Indian ones on board but heavy orbiter
(satellite) and lander weight this time has put constraints on
the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in terms of
carry-load of instruments.
"One of the problems was weight consideration. Weight
limitation is overall boundary within which we have to work",
Prof U R Rao, who chaired the national committee of experts
drawn from ISRO centres, academic institutions and R&D
laboratories which finalised the payloads to be flown on board
Chandrayaan-2 (orbiter and rover), told PTI.
With a heavy orbiter and lander, the weight of the
payloads cannot exceed 40 kg.
Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft weighs about 2,650 kg at
lift-off of which the orbiter weight is about 1,400 kg and
lander's about 1,250 kg.
The mission, which will have an orbiter, a lander and
a rover, is planned to be launched onboard Geosynchronous
Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) from Satish Dhawan Space
Centre, Sriharikota in South-eastern state of Andhra Pradesh,
in 2013.
While the lander would be provided by Russia, the
orbiter and the rover are being built by ISRO.
Prof Rao, Chairman, Advisory Committee on Space
Sciences (ADCOS) and former Chairman of ISRO, said there were
informal discussions with players from the US and Europe on
flying their payloads, even though ISRO had not issued
"availability of opportunity" for foreign instruments.
"Right now, the weight problem is very serious", he
said indicating that foreign payloads may not be included at
all. "We just don’t have the weight. We cannot select payloads
which cannot go".
But Rao said one or two additional Indian payloads
might be included.
"Obviously, we will give preference to Indian payloads
now. We have to provide as much opportunities as possible to
Indian scientists".
But he said the Russians would conduct experiments
with their lander.
Rao said Chandrayaan-2 would carry out experiments
based on the discoveries of its predecessor. "It will conduct
extremely good experiments, try out very new ideas and new
technologies." (MORE) PTI