Just months after a landing anomaly, India is hard at work pursuing another try at touching down on the moon, according to a news report.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is already designing Chandrayaan 3, which would only include a lander and a rover because India already has a working orbiter at the moon — Chandrayaan 2.
Chandrayaan 2 attempted to deploy a lander called Vikram on Sept. 6, but that spacecraft fell silent during landing. India said that it saw Vikram on the surface after the landing, but instruments on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter hadn't spotted it as of late October.
Related: India's Chandrayaan-2 Mission to the Moon in Photos
An unnamed scientist quoted in The Times of India on Wednesday (Nov. 13) said the new lander would have stronger legs to allow the spacecraft to withstand touching the surface at a higher velocity during landing.
"It is essential to carry out detailed analysis on the changes for improving the lander system considering the recommendations of both the expert committee (formed to look into Chandrayaan 2) and the recommendations which could not be implemented due to [the] advanced stage of Chandrayaan 2 flight preparation," read an ISRO office order quoted in the Times.
ISRO has three subcommittees and an overall panel examining the new mission, and has already held at least four high-level meetings since October, the newspaper added. "On Tuesday [Nov. 12], the overview committee met with the agenda of reviewing the configuration of Chandrayaan 3," the Times said, examining aspects such as the landing site, navigation techniques and spacecraft components.
A launch date and the suggested payloads for Chandrayaan 3 have not been released, although the Times reports that the deadline for the project is November 2020. The Chandrayaan 2 orbiter remains in good health, according to ISRO, and the instruments on board are gathering science data.
- India's Chandrayaan-2 Spacecraft Snaps Its First Picture of the Moon
- Amazing Moon Photos from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
- Stunning Photos Show Earth from India's Spacecraft Headed to the Moon
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