India and Russia are planning to launch a research station towards the Moon in 2015 – the Chandrayaan-2. This was learned from the list of key projects for the current year, released on Tuesday by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
The main task of the second Indian moon mission, the Chandrayaan-2, being carried out jointly by ISRO and Roskosmos, is to study the chemical composition of the surface of the Earth’s natural satellite. To do this, they will launch an orbiter station to the Moon, which will then send a lander craft with an on-board Lunokhod. It will collect soil samples and carry out chemical analyses, transmitting the data to Earth.
Roskosmos is developing the Lunokhod and lander that will deliver it to the surface of the Earth’s natural satellite. It is expected that with the power supplied by solar panels, the Lunokhod will operate for about one year on the Moon.
The exact date of launch of this satellite, weighing 2,650 kg, from the Sriharikota Spaceport has not been announced yet.
The Chandrayaan-1 was launched on October 22, 2008, becoming the first mission of the Indian independent space program. The Chandrayaan-1 apparatus operated in the Moon’s orbit for 312 days, exploring its surface, including by means of an impact probe.
