ISRO may jiggle Chandrayaan-II payloads after discovery of water
25 Sep 2009
Bangalore: ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair has confessed that the startling discovery of the presence of water in larger quantities than previously estimated has prompted scientists to rethink the experiments to be carried by the follow-on mission Chandrayaan-II. The mission is slated for launch by 2013.
Besides several in-orbit experiments ISRO also plans to land two rovers on the lunar surface.
"Following findings of Chandrayaan-I, it would have to now look at mid-course correction of its objectives. We have to fine-tune it. There is some loud thinking on the issue going on," ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair informed the media in Bangalore.
Nair indicated that the lunar rover may well be equipped with instruments that could dig the lunar surface and carry out in-situ experiments.
Nearly all the scientific payloads on Chandrayaan-II will be Indian except the lunar rover which will be supplied by Russia. Nair indicated that ISRO was mulling options of sending a smaller indigenous version of the rover to the lunar surface.
Nair also said that scientists were also looking at the possibility of squeezing in extra payload onboard the Chandrayaan-II.
"Right now Chandrayaan-II is full," he said.
