Chandrayaan-1 (Sanskrit: -,(Sanskrit: [ ttndd jan]; lit: Moon vehicle[3][4]

pronunciation (helpinfo)) was India's first lunar probe. It was launched by the Indian Space Research
Organisation in October 2008, and operated until August 2009. The mission included a lunar orbiter
and an impactor. India launched the spacecraft using a PSLV-XL rocket, serial number C11,[1][5] on 22
October 2008 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre,Sriharikota, Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh,
about 80 km north of Chennai, at 06:22 IST (00:52 UTC).[6] Prime minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee announced the project on course in his Independence Day speech on 15 August 2003.
The mission was a major boost to India's space program,[7] as India researched and developed its
own technology in order to explore the Moon.[8] The vehicle was successfully inserted into lunar orbit
on 8 November 2008.[9]
On 14 November 2008, the Moon Impact Probe separated from the Chandrayaan orbiter at 20:06
and struck the south pole in a controlled manner, making India the fourth country to place its flag on
the Moon.[10] The probe impacted near the crater Shackleton at 20:31 ejecting sub-surface soil that
could be analysed for the presence oflunar water ice.[11][12]

Objectives[edit]
The mission had the following stated scientific objectives:[21]

to design, develop, launch and orbit a spacecraft around the Moon using an Indian-made
launch-vehicle

to conduct scientific experiments using instruments on the spacecraft which would yield data:

for the preparation of a three-dimensional atlas (with high spatial and altitude
resolution of 510 m) of both the near and far sides of the Moon

for chemical and mineralogical mapping of the entire lunar surface at high spatial
resolution, mapping particularly the chemical elements magnesium,
aluminium, silicon, calcium, iron, titanium, radon, uranium, and thorium

to increase scientific knowledge

to test the impact of a sub-satellite (Moon Impact Probe MIP) on the surface on
the Moon as a fore-runner to future soft-landing missions

to detect water-ice on the Moon

Specifications[edit]
Mass
1,380 kg at launch, 675 kg at lunar orbit,[22] and 523 kg after releasing the impactor.
Dimensions
Cuboid in shape of approximately 1.5 m
Communications
X band, 0.7 m diameter dual gimballed parabolic antenna for payload data transmission. The
Telemetry, Tracking & Command (TTC) communication operates in S band frequency.
Power
The spacecraft was mainly powered by its solar array, which included one solar panel
covering a total area of 2.15 x 1.8 m generating 750 W of peak power, which was stored in a
36 Ah lithium-ion battery for use during eclipses.[23]
Propulsion
The spacecraft used a bipropellant integrated propulsion system to reach lunar orbit as well
as orbit and altitude maintenance while orbiting the Moon. The power plant consisted of one
440 N engine and eight 22 N thrusters. Fuel and oxidiser were stored in two tanks of
390 litres each.[22][23]
Navigation and control
The craft was 3-axis stabilised with two star sensors, gyros and four reaction wheels. The
craft carried dual redundant bus management units for attitude control, sensor processing,
antenna orientation, etc.[22][23]

handrayaan I, the Indian spacecraft, successfully reached the lunar surface at 20:31 hrs on
November 14, 2008. It is actually the first Indian-built object to reach the surface of the
Moon.
It was weighed 34 kg at the time of its on-board launch and carried a video imaging system,
a radar altimeter, and a mass spectrometer. The video imaging system was designed to
take pictures of the Moon's surface as MIP approached the lunar surface. Whereas, the
radar altimeter measured the rate of descent of the probe while the mass spectrometer
made a detailed study of the extremely thin lunar atmosphere.
With the launch of the mission, India joined a select band of countries who have undertaken
lunar missions by launching the first unmanned mission to the Moon.
The flight was conducted from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota on
October 22, 2008. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C11, successfully launched the

1380 kg Chandrayaan I spacecraft into a transfer orbit with a perigee of 255 km and an
apogee of 22,860 km, inclined at an angle of 17.9 degree to the equator.
Journey of Chandrayaan-I
Chandrayaan was first made to circle the Earth in its transfer orbit, and then was put into
elliptical "extended transfer orbits" by repeatedly firing its liquid engine in a pre-determined
sequence. Consequently, the liquid engine was once more fired to make the spacecraft
travel to the vicinity of the Moon by following a path called the "Lunar Transfer Trajectory
(LTT)."
When it reached near the Moon and passed at a few hundred kilometers from it, its liquid
engine was fired again so that the spacecraft slowed down sufficiently to enable the gravity
of the Moon to capture it into an elliptical orbit with the consequence that the engine firing
the height of the spacecraft's orbit around the Moon was reduced in steps. After cautious
and detailed observation of the orbit perturbations, the orbital height of Chandrayaan I was
finally lowered to its intended 100 km height from the lunar surface.

Findings of Chandrayaan I
The cameras on board Chandrayaan I, which were named the terrain mapping camera
(TMC) and hyper-spectral imager (HySI), were switched on and excellent quality pictures of
the lunar surface were taken. All the payloads resulted in a satisfactory operation.
Chandrayaan I has successfully demonstrated India's capability and proficiency in carrying
out highly complex space missions. It should be noted that the successful launch of
Chandrayaan I has paved the way for undertaking missions to the Moon and beyond.

Chandrayaan, Indias first mission on moon was successfully launched on Wednesday. The
spacecraft is doing fine and has completed four rounds in orbit. With the successful launch, India
has now joined the exclusive club of nations who have sent missions to moon. India joined
whats shaping up as a 21st century space race with Chinese and Japanese crafts already in orbit
around the moon. This two year mission will definitely establish Indias credentials in Space
Technology and at laying the groundwork for further Indian space expeditions.

The successful launch of the mission has made every Indian very proud and it is indeed a great
honour for the country to have conceived and implemented a mission on own. As Dr
Kasturirangan of ISRO says The entire space community has worked hard for years for this
great leap in space technology. Launch is one aspect. Putting the spacecraft in the lunar orbit
about 100 km from the moons surface involves intricate manoeuvres at different levels for over
18 days before it is successfully placed in the pre-designated slot.