|
| |
 |
|
|
|
|
Russian and India team up for lunar mission |
|
|
|
Written by Derek Kessler on
Wednesday, 14 November 2007
|
|
|
|
 The once mighty Russian space agency and India's developing space agency have signed a lunar exploration agreement. The accord was signed Monday in Moscow by Anatoly Perminov, director of the Russian Space Agency and Gopalan Madhavan Nair, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, and pledges that the two countries will co-develop and launch a lunar orbiter and a robotic lander.
The mission, which will be named Chandrayaan-2 (India's first lunar probe, Chandrayaan-1, is slated for launch in April 2008), is planned for launch in 2013. The orbiter and lander would be launched as a single payload from the Indian-built Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicle. Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed the accord during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Moscow on Monday. "We plan to continue our cooperation in such high-tech spheres, as telecommunications and exploration of space," he said.
ISRO officials reported that preparations for the launch of Chandrayaan-1 are still under way. The lunar orbiter will launch atop an Indian-built Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and carry at least two NASA instruments to explore the lunar surface. The satellite will also carry a Moon Impact Probe, designed to test technology for making a pinpoint landing on the lunar surface.
Discuss: TrekUnited Forum
|
|
|
|
|
"Second star to the right...and straight on 'til morning."
|
|
