BY : ZEE NEWS




The Assembly, Integration and Testing (AIT) of the country`s first unmanned moon mission, Chandrayaan-I, is progressing as per schedule, according to a top official of the Indian Space Research Organisation.

The AIT of the spacecraft, which is slated for launch in the first quarter of 2008 "is progressing as per schedule," Director, Chandrayaan I, Mylswamy Annadurai told reporters from Bangalore.

"Moon mineralogy mapper-m3 from JPL/NASA has been integrated and tested with the spacecraft system. A team from the JPL, NASA headed by M3 Project Manager Thomas Glavich was in ISRO, Bangalore in this regard and after successful integration and test, the team has left for the us," Annadurai said.

"Other payloads are also lined up for further AIT progress. Radom (Radiation Dose Monitor) from Bulgaria is next in the line," he added.

In March this year, the spacecraft structure for the mission had arrived at the ISRO satellite centre (ISAC) from the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, he said.

The Chandrayaan-1 mission, which aims at placing a 525-kg spacecraft around the lunar orbit, is expected to unravel the unknown features of the moon for the first time.

ISRO`s Deep Space Tracking Network System (DSTNS) which is being set up for the moon mission at byalalu village, 40 kms from Bangalore, has already erected its first 18-metre antenna, the scientist said.

The 32-m antenna (100 feet in diameter), built by the Electronic Corporation of India and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, is also being erected at DSTNS, S Krishnamurthy, Director Publications and Public Relations of ISRO, said. The erection will be completed by October after which the complex process of electronic connectivity and testing will take place, he added.

ISRO also aims to prepare three dimensional atlas of the regions on the moon as well as chemical mapping of the entire lunar surface.