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Chandrayaan-1: The Payloads |
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Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft carried 11 payloads (scientific instruments) to achieve its objectives. The instruments were carefully chosen on the basis of many scientific and technical considerations as well as their complementary/supplementary nature.
Of them, five instruments were entirely designed and developed in India, three instruments from European Space Agency (one of which was developed jointly with India and the other with Indian contribution), one from Bulgaria and two from the United States. Thus, Chandrayaan-1 is a classic example of international cooperation that has characterised the global space exploration programmes of the post cold war era.
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1. Terrain Mapping Camera (TMC): The aim of this instrument is to completely map the topography of the moon. The camera works in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum and captures black and white stereo images. It images a strip of lunar surface which is 20 km wide and resolution of this CCD camera is 5 m. Such high resolution imaging helps in better understanding of the lunar evolution process as well as in the detailed study of the regions of scientific interest. When used in conjunction with data from Lunar Laser Ranging Instrument (LLRI), it can help in better understanding of the lunar gravitational field as well. TMC was built by ISRO's Space Applications Centre (SAC) of Ahmedabad. |
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2. Hyperspectral Imager (HySI): This CCD camera is designed to obtain the spectroscopic data for mapping of minerals on the surface of the moon as well as for understanding the mineralogical composition of the moon's interior. Operating in the visible and near infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum, it images a strip of lunar surface which is 20 km wide with a resolution of 80 m. The instrument splits the incident radiation into 64 contiguous bands of 15 nanometer (nm) width. HySI will help in improving the already available information on mineral composition of the lunar surface. HySI was also built by SAC. |
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3. Lunar Laser Ranging Instrument (LLRI): This instrument aims to provide necessary data for determining the accurate altitude of Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft above the lunar surface.It also helps in determining the global topographical field of the Moon as well as in generating an improved model for the lunar gravity field. Data from LLRI will enable understanding of the internal structure of the moon and the way large surface features of the moon have changed with time. The infrared laser source used for LLRI is Nd-YAG laser wherein Neodimium atoms are doped into a Yittrium Aluminium Garnet crystal. The wavelength of the light emitted by LLRI is 1064 nm. LLRI was built by ISRO's Laboratory for Electro Optic Systems (LEOS) of Bangalore. |
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4. High Energy X-ray Spectrometer (HEX): This is the first planetary experiment to carry out spectral studies at 'hard' X-ray energies using good energy resolution detectors. HEX is designed to help explore the possibility of identifying polar regions covered by thick water-ice deposits as well as in identifying regions of high Uranium and Thorium concentrations. Knowledge of the chemical composition of the various solar system objects such as planets, satellites and asteroids provides important clues towards understanding their origin and evolution. HEX uses Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) detectors and is designed to detect hard X-rays in the energy range of 30 kilo electron Volts (keV) to about 270 keV. HEX was built jointly by Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) of Ahmedabad and ISRO Satellite Centre of Bangalore. |
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Moon’s Surface photographed by MIP before its impact |
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5. Moon Impact Probe (MIP): The primary objective of MIP was to demonstrate the technologies required for landing a probe at the desired location on the moon. Through this probe, it was also intended to qualify some of the technologies related to future soft landing missions. This apart, scientific exploration of the moon at close distance was also intended using MIP.
The 34 kg Moon Impact Probe consisted of a C-band Radar Altimeter for continuous measurement of altitude of the Probe above lunar surface and to qualify technologies for future landing missions, a Video Imaging System for acquiring images of the surface of moon from the descending probe and a Mass Spectrometer for measuring the constituents of extremely thin lunar atmosphere during its 25 minute descent to the lunar surface. MIP was developed by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre of Thiruvananthapuram.
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