India Works on Lunar Missions Capable of Bringing Samples to Earth: Reports
15:44 25.09.2023 (Updated: 10:08 29.09.2023)
© Sputnik / Ramil Sitdikov
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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is developing lunar missions able to bring samples to Earth after a successful hop experiment was carried out on the lunar surface by Indian lander Vikram earlier in September, Indian media reported on Monday, citing an ISRO official.
"There is no definitive timeline for this yet, but we are working on developing our systems in a way that it can undertake a return flight. The hop experiment was only a demonstration of the larger plan," the newspaper quoted an unnamed ISRO official as saying.
On August 23, India became the first country in the world to successfully land a spacecraft — Chandrayaan-3 module with the lunar rover on board — on the South Pole of the Moon.
India's Moon mission was launched on July 14, and it entered the lunar orbit on August 5. The station conducted several maneuvers to approach the Moon until its orbit decreased to 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the Moon.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission's landing module Vikram separated from the station on August 17 and previously conducted two operations to lower its orbit. While being on the Moon surface, the lander performed a hop elevating to a height of 1.3 feet and landing back again.
On September 2, the lander was put into a sleep mode until September 22, but the ISRO has failed to establish communication with it since then, saying that the efforts to establish contact would continue.
On August 23, India became the first country in the world to successfully land a spacecraft — Chandrayaan-3 module with the lunar rover on board — on the South Pole of the Moon.
India's Moon mission was launched on July 14, and it entered the lunar orbit on August 5. The station conducted several maneuvers to approach the Moon until its orbit decreased to 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the Moon.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission's landing module Vikram separated from the station on August 17 and previously conducted two operations to lower its orbit. While being on the Moon surface, the lander performed a hop elevating to a height of 1.3 feet and landing back again.
On September 2, the lander was put into a sleep mode until September 22, but the ISRO has failed to establish communication with it since then, saying that the efforts to establish contact would continue.
