India’s lunar probe Chandrayaan-1 finally blasted off last night. Make that one more space-faring nation on its way back to the Moon.
One of Astronomy magazine’s columnists, James Oberg, sent the information below out to the various media interests he writes for and agreed to let me share it with you. In case you don’t know who Jim Oberg is, he is one of the world's leading popularizers and interpreters of space exploration. His classic Red Star in Orbit is THE authoritative book on the Russian space program.
Oberg is also a former “rocket scientist,” having had a 22-year career as a space engineer in Houston, where he specialized in NASA space shuttle operations for orbital rendezvous. Read more on his web site: www.jamesoberg.com
You couldn’t ask for a more knowledgeable guide to international space science. I always look forward to receiving Oberg’s monthly “Space Science Update” articles for the magazine’s Astro news section. These gems are full of technical and historical insights that speak to the writer’s deep experience with the subject.
Here are Oberg’s Chandrayaan-1 tips:
The launch follows China's first Moon shot last year.
It's approximately the 70th moon probe from Earth over the past 50 years. The first one was August 1958.
The probe kicks off an enhanced Indian space program that could see astronauts from that nation in orbit by 2015. The probe is quite sophisticated and international in its suite of instruments.
As with the Chinese probe, Chandrayaan-1 will use rockets and hardware developed for launching communications satellites. Its initial parking orbit will be the same one used for communication satellites headed for the 24-hour synchronous orbit over the equator — then will thrust higher and out toward the Moon.
Relying on previously flown hardware and flight paths probably enhances the chance of a success — until they need to do lunar-distance navigation and control. Here, the Indians are new at the game, but they have been practicing.
Side note: India's recent launch of an Israeli spy satellite has put their space program into the cross hairs of Islamic terrorist groups, who have attacked facilities before. In India today, public enthusiasm for the launch is reaching astronomical levels — making it a tempting target, if any group really has the capability.
In recent years, lunar probes from Europe, Japan, China, and now India have opened the door to wider world participation in such exploration. The next expansion of Moon exploration is only a few years off when private teams begin sending probes to the Moon for the “Lunar X-Prize” and even as commercial cargo carriers for NASA.
So this event isn't just a one-off freak show, it is a milestone on a broadening highway.
A very thoughtful assessment of India and China and their approach to wider space activities was published last week on TheSpaceReview.com, "The new path to space: India and China enter the game."
More Chandrayaan-1 coverage on Astronomy.com: