With only few hours left for Vikram to land on the moon's surface, excitement is building up. Scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are confident of a success, saying that everything so far is as per expectations and that the system is in good health.
The lander separated from the orbiter on September 2, and has since been performing deorbiting manoeuvres to get closer to the moon's surface. When it is 30 m above the lunar surface, a powered descent lasting 15 minutes will begin.
The “aerial distance”' between the earth and the moon is only 3.84 lakh km, so ISRO’s radars are receiving information relayed from the probe within a matter of seconds. Electronic waves travel at the speed of 3x100000000 m/s. This means that within moments of touchdown, ISRO will know whether the mission has been a success or not. For it to be a success, Vikram has to land on its feet, before opening up “like a flower-bud'', and deploying its payloads. Pragyan, the six wheeled rover will then emerge from Vikram's belly, slide down to the moon surface and begin its scientific work. According to officials, it will take Pragyan four and a half hours after touchdown, to be on the moon’s surface.
What is the first image we can expect to see in the wee hours of Saturday? It will be a picture of the moon, which will be taken by Vikram. Much later, Pragyan could take a picture of Vikram itself. According to sources, Vikram isn't much of a selfie person.
On earth, the action has shifted to the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network Centre in Bengaluru, where Prime minister Narendra Modi is arriving tonight to be with the scientists as they track the landing. Huge floral hoardings along the roads leading to the centre will welcome Modi. Modi will be witnessing the event in the company of school children. Around 400 media people, including several from international media, have registered with ISRO report from the Mission Control Centre.
The importance of the event cannot be underscored enough. India will be the fourth country in the world to make a soft landing on the moon and the first ever to reach the moon's southern pole. ISRO chairperson K. Sivan told THE WEEK that aborting the launch on July 15 at the eleventh hour was in no way connected with the success or failure of Vikram's landing. "That was a launch vehicle issue. It is very common with launch vehicles,'" he said.
