Chandrayaan-2 captures debris of crashed Japanese spacecraft on the Moon
In a remarkable feat of space sleuthing, India's Chandrayaan-2 mission has helped locate the debris of a crashed Japanese lunar lander, thanks to the sharp eyes of space enthusiast Shanmuga Subramanian.Using high-resolution images captured by Chandrayaan-2's Orbiter High Resolution Camera (OHRC), Subramanian identified the scattered remains of the Japanese spacecraft Hakuto-R2.The Japanese lander, which lost contact during its descent had left mission controllers and space enthusiasts worldwide searching for clues about its fate.
Resilience debris found in Chandrayaan-2 images. (Photo: Isro)
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The spacecraft was tagetting to land on the Moon's Sea of Cold in the Northern Hemisphere when Mission Control in Tokyo lost communications and telemetry with the spacecraft.Hours after the spacecraft crashed on the Moon, ispace revealed the initial findings from data it received moments before the spacecraft had a hard landing on the Moon.The laser rangefinder used to measure the distance to the lunar surface experienced delays in obtaining valid measurement values. As a result, the lander was unable to decelerate sufficiently.ENTERS CHANDRAYAAN-2Chandrayaan-2's OHRC, with its impressive 0.25-meter resolution—the highest achieved by any lunar orbiter—provided the crucial data needed to pinpoint the crash site.Shanmuga Subramanian, who previously made headlines for discovering the debris of India's own Vikram lander from the Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2019, once again demonstrated his extraordinary skill in analysing lunar imagery.advertisementScouring through the OHRC's detailed images, he identified unusual patterns and bright spots in the expected crash zone, which matched the characteristics of spacecraft debris.Chandrayaan-2's OHRC images are incredibly detailed, allowing astronomers to spot even small fragments on the lunar surface.
Resilience lunar lander above the Moon. (Photo: ispace)
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is however, yet to confirm the finding.Chandrayaan-2's orbiter has been praised for its technological capabilities ever since it was deployed in 2019. It was also responsible for scouting the landing zone for the crashed spacecraft for private company ispace.The discovery not only provides important data for the Japanese space agency's analysis of the mission failure but also highlights the growing role of citizen scientists in space exploration.The orbiter continues to deliver high-resolution imagery and scientific data, supporting both Indian and international lunar missions. As the world gears up for renewed exploration of the Moon, Chandrayaan-2 remains central for imagery and analysin of the lunar terrain.Must Watch
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