India Hoists its Flag on the Moon (Patriotic)

India became the fourth nation to have its flag flying on the Moon’s surface when Chandrayaan-1’s Moon Impact Probe device – which has the Indian Tricolour painted on it – touched down.

The 35-kilo payload crash-landed on the lunar surface at around 2030 hrs IST. The MIP has started sending its first signals to the satellite. It also contains equipment which will help scientists design a lunar lander or rover for the upcoming Chandrayaan-2 mission.

There’s a lot tucked away inside the MIP. There’s a device to constantly check its height as it falls, another to check what the air on the moon is made of and even a video camera to photograph the moon from close range. Those photographs will help ISRO decide where to land India’s first moon rover, a few years from now. The MIP also has the Indian flag painted on its sides a Sanskrit shloka as well.

The MIP disconnected from Chandrayaan at 100 km from the moon. As it fell, it kept sending information back to the satellite. Closer to the surface, rockets were fired to slow down its speed and soften impact. After 30 min of free fall, the MIP crash-landed on the south pole of moon.

The MIP is the brainchild of former president APJ Abdul Kalam. He said it’s his dream to see an Indian astronaut walk the moon. The landing of the MIP comes 50 years after the first man-made object landed on the lunar surface. The other countries that landed probes on the moon are the former USSR, the US and China.

Watch ISRO Chairman Madhavan Nair Speaking about the Mission

Watch Rakesh Sharma – India’s First Astronaut’s Reactions 

Source: CNN-IBN