India made a giant leap into space when ISRO launched Chandrayaan-2. Chandrayaan-2 lifted off successfully from Satish Dhawan Space Center on July 22, 2019. Chandrayaan-2 carries an orbiter, a lander, and also a rover.
Failure of Vikram lander to soft-land on the moon’s surface:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present at the Bengaluru headquarters of ISRO to cheer up the scientists. After completing all the moon orbital maneuvers Vikram Lander was all set to soft-land on the moon’s surface on September 7, 1:52 A.M.(IST). Vikram lander is an intelligent machine designed to locate the position of its landing on its own.
The communication was steady, and also everything was going as planned. Just 2.1 Kms left for the impact and ISRO lost connection to the lander. The scientists were left shattered. It was a massive moment for ISRO. However, the scientists did not lose hope they kept on trying. After 20 minutes of effort, ISRO chairman Dr. K Sivan in an emotional announcement declared that they have lost communication to the lander and are now figuring out the cause of it.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi)
1.3 billion Indians are with @isro.
They make us proud with their resilience and spirit of exploration. https://t.co/9CGR0iXnhI
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 8, 2019
Importance of the Orbiter:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he and the whole nation is proud of the ISRO scientists and salute them for their dedication. Despite the failure of Vikram lander we still have the Orbiter which doing quite well in the Orbit. ISRO reported that Orbiter is stable in the Orbit and performing its tasks. The Orbiter will provide high-resolution images of the moon in its one-year-long cycle.
It will also observe the moon with the help of eight scientific instruments from a height of 62 miles. The main objective will be the search for water on the undiscovered side of the moon. The Orbiter will also make maps of the moon’s surface having water in it. It is a long way to go for ISRO scientists they already have made India proud and will continue to do the same in future as well.