Primary Objectives:
The stated scientific objectives of the mission were:
- To design, develop, launch and orbit a spacecraft around the Moon using an Indian-made launch vehicle.
- Conduct scientific experiments using instruments on the spacecraft which would yield the following data:
- Preparation of a three-dimensional atlas (with high spatial and altitude resolution of 5–10 m) of both the near and far side of the Moon.
- Chemical and mineralogical mapping of the entire lunar surface at high spatial resolution, mapping particularly the chemical elements magnesium, aluminium, silicon, calcium, iron, titanium, radon, uranium, & thorium.
- To increase the scientific knowledge.
- The impact of a sub-satellite (Moon Impact Probe - MIP) on the surface on the Moon as a fore-runner to future soft-landing missions.
Specific Areas of Study:
- High-resolution mineralogical and chemical imaging of the permanently shadowed north and south polar regions.
- Search for surface or sub-surface lunar water-ice, especially at the lunar poles.
- Identification of chemicals in lunar highland rocks.
- Chemical stratigraphy of lunar crust by remote sensing of the central uplands of large lunar craters, and of the South Pole Aitken Region (SPAR), where interior material may be expected.
- To map the height variation of the lunar surface features.
- Observation of X-ray spectrum greater than 10 keV and stereographic coverage of most of the Moon's surface with 5 m resolution.
- To provide new insights in understanding the Moon's origin and evolution.
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Chandrayaan