Orbiter News

Chandrayaan-3 will not have an orbiter, but only the lander and rover

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Thursday said that the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter detected a series of solar flares using Solar X-ray Monitor (XSM) of Chandrayaan 2 and the US’ Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-15) between September 30 to October 1.

The 14-day timeline given by ISRO for establishing contact with the Lander has a deadline of September 21 because after that the moon region will enter into a lunar light. On the afternoon of September 19, based on the photographs received by scientists, there was a long shadow appearing on the lunar surface. 

Space experts on Monday said that ISRO should not try to reduce the orbit of Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter in order to pick up any weak signals or to take a closer look at Vikram Lander that had lost contact with ISRO on Saturday because the reduction in orbit can prove dangerous for the Orbiter itself.

With Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter locating the Vikram Lander on the Moon's surface, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is making all efforts to establish communication with the same. ISRO chief K Sivan had on Sunday announced that the Orbiter had taken a thermal image of Vikram.

ISRO chairman K Sivan said 90 to 95 per cent of the mission objectives have been accomplished. 

The Orbiter is still in contact with ISRO and will beam back critical information.

The separation of the Vikram Lander from Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter took place on Monday, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Watch this video to know more.