First de-orbiting manoeuvre performed for Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft: ISRO
Bengaluru: A day after lander 'Vikram' was separated from Chandrayaan-2's orbiter, the ISRO said on Tuesday it has successfully performed the first de-orbiting manoeuvre for the spacecraft.
The city-headquartered space agency will perform one more de-orbit manoeuvre on Wednesday, before the powered descent on September 7 for its landing in the south polar region of the moon.
"The first de-orbiting manoeuvre for Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft was performed successfully today (September 03, 2019) beginning at 0850 hrs IST as planned, using the onboard propulsion system. The duration of the manoeuvre was 4 seconds," the ISRO said in an update.
"The orbit of Vikram Lander is 104 km x 128 km. Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter continues to orbit the Moon in the existing orbit and both the Orbiter and Lander are healthy," it said, adding that the next de-orbiting manoeuvre is scheduled on September 4, between 03:30 and 04:30 hrs IST.
In a key event of India's second moon mission Chandrayaan-2, lander 'Vikram' was separated from the orbiter on Monday.
Vikram (with rover 'Pragyan' housed inside) is expected to touch down on the surface of the moon on September 7, between 1:30 and 2:30 am.
Two de-orbit manoeuvres of Vikram Lander, to bring it further down, have been planned to prepare for its landing in the south polar region of the moon.
ISRO Chairman K Sivan has said the proposed soft-landing on the Moon is going to be a "terrifying" moment as it is something ISRO has not done before, where as LOI manoeuvre was successfully carried out during the Chandrayaan-1 mission.
Following the landing, the rover 'Pragyan' will roll out from lander 'Vikram' between 5:30 and 6:30 am on September 7, and carry out experiments on the lunar surface for a period of one lunar day, which is equal to 14 earth days.
The mission life of the lander is also one lunar day, while the orbiter will continue its mission for a year.
India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, GSLV MkIII-M1 had successfully launched the 3,840-kg Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft into the earth's orbit on July 22.
Chandrayaan-2 satellite had began its journey towards the moon leaving the earth's orbit in the dark hours on August 14, after a crucial manoeuvre called Trans Lunar Insertion (TLI) that was carried out by ISRO to place the spacecraft on "Lunar Transfer Trajectory."
In a major milestone for India's second Moon mission, the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft had successfully entered the lunar orbit on August 20 by performing Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) manoeuvre.
The health of the spacecraft is being continuously monitored from the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru with support from Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) antennas at Bylalu, near Bengaluru, the space agency has said.
The orbiter carries eight scientific payloads for mapping the lunar surface and studying the exosphere (outer atmosphere) of the Moon while the lander carries three scientific payloads to conduct surface and subsurface science experiments.
The rover carries two payloads to enhance the understanding of the lunar surface. India's second lunar expedition -- would shed light on a completely unexplored section of the Moon, its South Polar region.
According to ISRO, the objective of the Rs 978 crore Chandrayaan-2 is to develop and demonstrate the key technologies for end-to-end lunar mission capability, including soft-landing and roving on the lunar surface.
On the science front, this mission aims to further expand knowledge about the moon through a detailed study of its topography, mineralogy, surface chemical composition, thermo-physical characteristics and atmosphere, leading to a better understanding of the origin and evolution of the moon, the space agency had said.
On successful completion, it will make India the fourth country after Russia, the US and China to pull off a soft landing on the moon.
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Karnataka minister urges Centre to address auto gas supply issue at earliest
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister K H Muniyappa, on Friday, urged the central government to address the auto gas supply issue at the earliest, accusing it of failing to come to the rescue of auto drivers in distress.
The minister met senior officials and representatives from state-run oil and gas companies regarding the auto gas supply issue, following the crisis in West Asia.
Bengaluru and several other places in the state are witnessing disruptions in auto services due to a shortage of auto LPG. Long queues of autos have been seen outside fuel stations in many areas, with drivers waiting for hours for supplies.
"There has been improvement in the supply of commercial cylinders, but not for auto gas. The chief secretary wrote to the central government on April 6. Earlier, the chief minister (Siddaramaiah) and I had also written to them, but there has been no response yet," the Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs told reporters.
The meeting was called to discuss measures to help auto drivers.
He said, "The lives of those who depend on auto gas have been affected, and I feel that the central government has failed to fulfil its responsibility in addressing their concerns."
"Out of around five lakh autos in the state, three lakh depend on auto gas. Of these, 1.6 lakh are in Bengaluru, and they are facing difficulties. We have written to the central government to resolve the issue, as the drivers’ livelihoods depend on autos. I urge the Centre to find a solution," he said, adding that Karnataka has the highest number of autos running on gas.
Pointing out that 280 MT of auto gas is required per day, of which 60 MT is supplied by government companies like IndianOil, BPC, and HPC, and the remaining 220 MT by the private sector, the minister said private companies have failed to ensure supply, and some have shut their stations.
"As the private sector has stopped supplying, the pressure is on government-run gas stations. This has resulted in long queues and a kind of chaos," he said, adding that he would soon call a meeting with private companies to get an update on their status and the way forward.
Stating that it is the obligation of the Government of India to ensure supply if private companies are unable to do so, Muniyappa said it is their duty to take responsibility and act in the public interest.
"Some private companies have stopped supplies, citing shortages, while others have hiked prices. The Centre has to take measures to control this. I urge the central government to intervene and make alternate arrangements," he said, noting that 65 per cent of auto LPG supply comes from private companies and 35 per cent from government companies.
Responding to a question on demands from auto drivers for relief due to the shortage, the minister said the chief secretary had written to the central government in this regard.
When asked whether the state government could take any measures, he said gas supply falls under the Centre’s domain.
"Ensuring supply is the only solution to this issue; there is no other option. The Centre should procure auto gas from wherever possible and ensure supply to auto drivers," he said.
"The central government has to find a way, as it granted permits to private companies. We have asked them to provide relief. We want a response from the Government of India and the Petroleum Minister on whether they can ensure supply at the earliest, and if not, what the alternative is. We are concerned about auto drivers," he added.
He said he would ask the chief secretary to speak with the Petroleum Secretary to find a mechanism to help auto drivers.
"If possible, I will also speak to them," he said.
The minister also said he had spoken with State Home Minister G Parameshwara, and that the police would be asked to monitor black marketing and exorbitant pricing of auto gas, and take necessary action against those involved.
Noting that, as per Government of India standards, a domestic gas cylinder lasts up to 25 days for a family of four to five, the minister asked gas companies to supply cylinders to consumers on the 26th day.
"Gas should be provided immediately after booking on the 26th day. Necessary instructions will be issued to companies by the department in this regard," he said, adding that this would reduce confusion among consumers and help avoid long queues at gas agencies.
