This Article is From Sep 19, 2019

Academicians, Experts Analysing Communication Loss With Moon Lander: ISRO

The Indian Space Research Organisation also said the orbiter of India's second lunar mission continued to perform scheduled science experiments

Academicians, Experts Analysing Communication Loss With Moon Lander: ISRO

ISRO said initial trials for orbiter payloads are completed successfully (File)

Bengaluru:

A national-level committee comprising academics and ISRO experts are analysing the cause of communication loss with Chandrayaan 2 lander before its planned soft landing on the lunar surface, the space agency said on Thursday.

The Indian Space Research Organisation also said the orbiter of India's second lunar mission continued to perform scheduled science experiments to "complete satisfaction" and the performance of all its payloads was "satisfactory".

"All Payloads of the orbiter are powered. Initial trials for orbiter payloads are completed successfully. The performance of all orbiter Payloads is satisfactory. Orbiter continues to perform the scheduled science experiments to complete satisfaction," ISRO said on its website.

"National-level committee consisting of academicians and ISRO experts are analysing the cause of communication loss with the lander," it added.

Lander Vikram, with rover Pragyan housed inside it, lost communication with ground station on September 7 during its final descent, just 2.1 kilometer above the lunar surface.

Efforts to reestablish the link were on since then, but hopes of a positive result appear to be fading away.

The lander, designed to execute a soft-landing on the lunar surface, and rover, have a mission life of one Lunar day, which is equivalent to 14 Earth days.

On September 8, ISRO said the lander was spotted on the lunar surface by a camera on the orbiter.

The orbiter carries eight scientific payloads for mapping the lunar surface and study the exosphere (outer atmosphere) of the Moon.

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