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Chandrayaan-2: Indian helps Nasa find Moon probe debris | Chandrayaan-2: Indian helps Nasa find Moon probe debris |
(32 minutes later) | |
Nasa says one of its satellites has found the debris of India's Moon rover which crashed on the lunar surface in September. | Nasa says one of its satellites has found the debris of India's Moon rover which crashed on the lunar surface in September. |
The space agency released a picture showing the site of the rover's impact and the "associated debris field". | The space agency released a picture showing the site of the rover's impact and the "associated debris field". |
Nasa has credited an Indian engineer, Shanmuga Subramanian, with helping locate the site of the debris. | |
Mr Subramanian examined a Nasa picture and located the first debris about 750m north-west of the crash site. | Mr Subramanian examined a Nasa picture and located the first debris about 750m north-west of the crash site. |
Chandrayaan-2 was due to touch down at the lunar South Pole on 7 September, over a month after it first took off. | Chandrayaan-2 was due to touch down at the lunar South Pole on 7 September, over a month after it first took off. |
It approached the Moon as normal until an error occurred about 2.1km (1.3 miles) from the surface, moments before it was to touch down. | It approached the Moon as normal until an error occurred about 2.1km (1.3 miles) from the surface, moments before it was to touch down. |
The rover lost contact and had a "hard landing" about 600km (370 miles) from the South Pole in a "relatively ancient terrain". | The rover lost contact and had a "hard landing" about 600km (370 miles) from the South Pole in a "relatively ancient terrain". |
Announcing the discovery of the Vikram lander, Nasa tweeted a mosaic image of the site. | Announcing the discovery of the Vikram lander, Nasa tweeted a mosaic image of the site. |
In late September, pictures from a Nasa spacecraft had showed the targeted landing site of the Vikram rover. | In late September, pictures from a Nasa spacecraft had showed the targeted landing site of the Vikram rover. |
Many people had downloaded the image released by Nasa's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) team, a statement by the space agency said. | |
It said after receiving Mr Subramanian's tip about the location of the debris, the LROC team "confirmed the identification by comparing before and after images". | It said after receiving Mr Subramanian's tip about the location of the debris, the LROC team "confirmed the identification by comparing before and after images". |
Mr Subramanian has tweeted an email sent to him by the space agency congratulating him for his effort. | Mr Subramanian has tweeted an email sent to him by the space agency congratulating him for his effort. |
"We had the images from Nasa [of] the lander's last location. We knew approximately where it crashed. So I searched pixel-by-pixel around that impact area," the 33-year-old Chennai-based engineer told BBC Tamil. | |
Mr Subramanian said he had always "been interested in space" and had watched the July launch of the rocket. | |
What was this mission all about? | What was this mission all about? |
Chandrayaan-2 (Moon vehicle 2) was the most complex mission ever attempted by India's space agency, Isro. | Chandrayaan-2 (Moon vehicle 2) was the most complex mission ever attempted by India's space agency, Isro. |
"It is the beginning of a historical journey," Isro chief K Sivan said after launch in July. | "It is the beginning of a historical journey," Isro chief K Sivan said after launch in July. |
The lander (named Vikram, after the founder of Isro) carried within its belly a 27kg (59lbs) Moon rover with instruments to analyse the lunar soil. | The lander (named Vikram, after the founder of Isro) carried within its belly a 27kg (59lbs) Moon rover with instruments to analyse the lunar soil. |
The rover (called Pragyan - wisdom in Sanskrit) had the capacity to travel 500m from the lander in its 14-day life span, and would have sent data and images back to Earth for analysis. | The rover (called Pragyan - wisdom in Sanskrit) had the capacity to travel 500m from the lander in its 14-day life span, and would have sent data and images back to Earth for analysis. |
The mission would have focussed on the lunar surface, searching for water and minerals and measuring moonquakes, among other things. | |
Why would it have been significant? | Why would it have been significant? |
A soft landing on another planetary body - a feat achieved by just three other countries so far - would have been a huge technological achievement for Isro and India's space ambitions, says science writer Pallava Bagla. | |
He adds that it would also have paved the way for future Indian missions to land on Mars, and opened up the possibility of India sending astronauts into space. | He adds that it would also have paved the way for future Indian missions to land on Mars, and opened up the possibility of India sending astronauts into space. |
For the first time in India's space history, the interplanetary expedition was led by two women - project director Muthaya Vanitha and mission director Ritu Karidhal. | For the first time in India's space history, the interplanetary expedition was led by two women - project director Muthaya Vanitha and mission director Ritu Karidhal. |
It was also a matter of national pride - the satellite's lift-off in July was broadcast live on TV and Isro's official social media accounts. | It was also a matter of national pride - the satellite's lift-off in July was broadcast live on TV and Isro's official social media accounts. |
The mission also made global headlines because it was so cheap - the budget for Avengers: Endgame, for instance, was more than double at an estimated $356m. But this wasn't the first time Isro has been hailed for its thrift. Its 2014 Mars mission cost $74m, a tenth of the budget for the American Maven orbiter. | The mission also made global headlines because it was so cheap - the budget for Avengers: Endgame, for instance, was more than double at an estimated $356m. But this wasn't the first time Isro has been hailed for its thrift. Its 2014 Mars mission cost $74m, a tenth of the budget for the American Maven orbiter. |
Read more about India's space ambitions | Read more about India's space ambitions |