Chandrayaan-I launch rehearsal begins

CHENNAI/BANGALORE, Oct 18 – As the countdown for the Chandrayaan-I – India’s ambitious moon mission, is set to begin Monday, ISRO scientists began launch rehearsal exercises at the Sriharikota spaceport as part of preparatory drill for the blast off, reports PTI. “The fully integrated launch vehicle has been moved out of the vehicle assembly building and anchored into the umbilical tower,” ISRO spokesperson S Satish told PTI at Bangalore today.

A 52-hour countdown for the mission is expected to commence in the early hours of October 20.

There was slight rain in Sriharikota today but there is no cause for worry. The weather on October 22 is forecast to be fine, he said.

The lunar spacecraft is slated to be launched by PSLV-C11 at O620 hours on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, preparatory activities for the countdown have begun.

“Preparatory activities, including checking of various parameters in payloads, to start countdown are going on,” Satish Dhawan Space Centre Associate Director Dr M Y S Prasad told PTI at Chennai from Sriharikota.

Dr Prasad said the spacecraft was moved to the launch pad last evening.

Prasad said all the operations were progressing satisfactorily for the launch of the spacecraft mission on October 22.

“About 42 tonnes of propellant would be filled during the countdown period,” he said.

According to the specifications given by the officials, the spacecraft carrying 11 payloads (scientific instruments) weighs about 1,380 kg at the time of its launch, which was shaped like a cuboid with a solar panel projecting from one of its sides. The state-of-the-art subsystems of the spacecraft facilitates the safe and efficient functioning of its 11 payloads.

The spacecraft was powered by a single solar panel generating a maximum of 700W. A 36 Ampere-Hour (AH) Lithium ion battery supplies power when the solar panel was not illuminated by the sun.

“To make Chandrayaan-1 escape from orbiting the earth and travel towards the moon, its Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) is used,” they said, adding “Liquid propellants needed for LAM as well as thrusters are stored onboard the spacecraft.”

The spacecraft’s dual gimballed antenna transmits the scientific data gathered by its 11 payloads to earth, they said. source: assam tribune