The thermal image of Vikram on the lunar surface from the Orbiter came as a thin ray of hope amid the disappointment over Chandrayaan-2. And while ISRO works tirelessly to restore communication with Vikram the lander, it appears highly unlikely that there could be a turnaround.
Missions like these are about clinical precision and timing. A fraction of a second can decide between success and failure. In this case, the spacecraft was to slow down and make a soft landing on its target surface, an experiment which was seen as most challenging. The success rate in such landing was estimated to be a mere 37 per cent. The last 15 minutes of descent that was most crucial “ billed as “15 minutes of terror”, and that is where we failed. ISRO’s inexperience in handling a soft landing showed up, as faulty execution of the last stage led to failure.
However, risks, experiments and failures are part of every space programme globally. There are lessons to be learnt and new initiatives taken. The task before ISRO now is even tougher. They have to study the precise reasons of failure to take this forward. All is not lost, India can take solace in the fact that the orbiter succeeded in its mission and continues to orbit around the moon. The fact that it will continue its trajectory for an extended period of 7 years, in comparison to the expected 1 year, is encouraging. It will help ISRO understand the moon’s evolution, mapping of its minerals and water molecules in the polar regions.
The Chandrayaan-2 mission had some heart-warming moments. While the nail-biting minutes and heightened anxiety petered into disappointment, it bound the people together. It was heartening to see a celebration of India’s scientific prowess, not allowing the setback to cast a shadow on the space ambition. A warm and consoling embrace of an emotional ISRO chief Dr K Sivan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi says it all. Modi’s words offered a soothing balm and echoed a sense of confidence to ISRO. “We are all proud of India’s space programme. Our resolve to touch the moon has grown stronger. There will be a new dawn,” the Prime Minster thundered while applauding the dedication and commitment of the entire team.
The NASA tweet should also rekindle a new vision for India’s space programme. “Space is hard. We commend @ISRO’s attempt to land their #Chandrayaan2 mission on the moon’s South Pole. You have inspired us with your journey and look forward to future opportunities to explore our solar system together.” And this is the kind of encouragement Dr Sivan and his team should look forward to even as India eyes Japan for a tie-up in future
explorations.
While a post-mortem is being done on Chandrayaan-2, ISRO should pick up the pieces and move ahead with even greater resolve. There are big takeaways and this should embolden the entire team of scientists to carry the mission
forward.
