ESA - Space Science - Europe’s next ride to the Moon: Chandrayaan-1

About Chandrayaan-1

Chandrayaan-1 Chandrayaan-1 in a nutshell Mission Objectives What’s special?Spacecraft Journey History and partnerships

Multimedia

Chandrayaan-1 multimedia gallery

Resources

Reference section Glossary FAQs

Science missions

Article Images

Europe’s next ride to the Moon: Chandrayaan-1

11 January 2008

Back to article

This artist's concept shows the Indian lunar orbiter Chandrayaan-1. The spacecraft will carry two European experiments on board which are direct descendents of ESA's SMART-1 - the infrared spectrometer, SIR2, and the X-ray spectrometer, C1XS, to study the mineralogy and the chemical composition of the lunar surface. The third European instrument on board is the SARA Sub-kiloelectronvolt Atom Reflecting Analyser, that will study the interaction between the lunar surface and the solar wind.

Credits: ISRO

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES JPEG (Size: 190 kb)

Chandrayaan-1 mission profile

Credits: ISRO

Back to article

Chandrayaan-1 X-ray Spectrometer (C1XS).

C1XS is one of the core-instruments that will carry out high-quality, low-energy (soft) X-ray spectroscopic mapping of the Moon.

Credits: ISRO/ ESA/ RAL

Back to article

The Sub Kev Atom reflecting Analyser (SARA)on board the lunar mission Chandrayaan-1.

SARA is the first-ever lunar experiment dedicated to direct studies of plasma-surface interactions in space.

Credits: ISRO/ESA/Swedish Institute Of Space Physics

Back to article

The Near-infrared spectrometer (SIR-2) on board the lunar mission Chandrayaan-1.

SIR-2 will study the chemical composition of the Moon’s crust and mantle.

Credits: ISRO/ESA/Max-Plank-Institute for Solar System Science

Back to article

Chandrayaan-1 carries a 29-kg landing probe (MIP), which will be dropped onto the Moon’s surface at the beginning of the mission to conduct investigations.

Credits: ISRO

For more information:

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES JPEG (Size: 145 kb)

This is a 3D view of the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft with some of the scientific instruments labelled.

Credits: ISRO

SMART-1

Best of SMART-1

More about...

Chandrayaan-1 Chandrayaan-1 in a nutshell