Press Trust of India News Service
1.Chandrayaan-1 nears 75,000 km height, inches closer to MoonBangalore, Oct 25 (PTI) India's Chandrayaan-1 has covered 20 per cent of its journey towards Moon as ISRO scientists today performed the second orbit-raising manoeuvre.
The lunar spacecraft's on-board 440 Newton Liquid engine was fired for about 16 minutes from 5.48 am.
With this engine firing, Chandrayaan-1's apogee (farthest point to earth) has been raised to 74,715 km, while its perigee (closest point to earth) has been raised to 336 km, ISRO spokesperson S Satish said.
ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair termed today's orbit-raising operation as "record-breaking".
"So far, Indian-made satellites have reached to a height of only 36,000 km. Today's firing has taken Chandrayaan-1 to something like 75,000 km. That's well beyond what we have reached so far. It was a good event, and done precisely," Nair, also secretary in the Department of Space, said.
Indicating the complexity of the India's first unmanned lunar mission, he said when the spacecraft is closer to the earth, its gravitational field is well defined and scientists can shape the trajectory.
"When you go further and further, earth's influence comes down. Influence of Moon and Sun becomes predominant. Even other planets will have an influence on it," he said.
Moon lies at a distance of about 3,84,000 km from earth. ISRO officials said Chandrayaan-1 is expected to settle into lunar orbit, 100 km above Moon, on November 8.
All systems on board the spacecraft, launched on October 22, were functioning normally, ISRO said, adding that further orbit-raising manoeuvres to take Chandrayaan-1 to still higher orbits are planned in the next few days. PTI
The lunar spacecraft's on-board 440 Newton Liquid engine was fired for about 16 minutes from 5.48 am.
With this engine firing, Chandrayaan-1's apogee (farthest point to earth) has been raised to 74,715 km, while its perigee (closest point to earth) has been raised to 336 km, ISRO spokesperson S Satish said.
ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair termed today's orbit-raising operation as "record-breaking".
"So far, Indian-made satellites have reached to a height of only 36,000 km. Today's firing has taken Chandrayaan-1 to something like 75,000 km. That's well beyond what we have reached so far. It was a good event, and done precisely," Nair, also secretary in the Department of Space, said.
Indicating the complexity of the India's first unmanned lunar mission, he said when the spacecraft is closer to the earth, its gravitational field is well defined and scientists can shape the trajectory.
"When you go further and further, earth's influence comes down. Influence of Moon and Sun becomes predominant. Even other planets will have an influence on it," he said.
Moon lies at a distance of about 3,84,000 km from earth. ISRO officials said Chandrayaan-1 is expected to settle into lunar orbit, 100 km above Moon, on November 8.
All systems on board the spacecraft, launched on October 22, were functioning normally, ISRO said, adding that further orbit-raising manoeuvres to take Chandrayaan-1 to still higher orbits are planned in the next few days. PTI
2. NASA scientists ring up ISRO, want to work in 'desi' missions 
Project Director of Chandrayaan-1, India's first unmanned lunar mission, Mayilsamy Annadurai says he definitely sees a "small trend" of what he calls "reverse brain-drain".
"Some of my friends and juniors working there (NASA) are looking for opportunities for working in ISRO," Annadurai said here.
He said at least half-a-dozen of them had approached him seeking openings in the Indian space agency and he knew that "a good number of foreigners" were also looking for such jobs.
Other senior ISRO officials sure would have got similar calls, he said. The question they are all asking is: "Is there any opportunity for working in future missions of ISRO".
India's Chandrayaan-1, launched on Oct 22, is carrying 11 payloads (scientific instruments) -- two from NASA, three from European Space Agency, one from Bulgaria and five from India.
"Fifty per cent of the instruments have come from outside. It's symbolic. Instead of we going there, they have come along with us as co-passengers," Annadurai said.
ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair said "comments and observations with envy that have come from overseas after Chandrayaan-1's launch reaffirms ISRO's matured and advanced technologies." After the launch, US Democratic Presidential nominee Barak Obama had said India's mission should be a wake-up call to America, and should remind his nation that it was getting complacent or sloppy about maintaining its position as the foremost nation in space exploration. PTI
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