ENDEAVOUR FINALLY AT THE STATION!!

ENDEAVOUR DOCKS TO ISS!!

Space shuttle Endeavour has docked with the International Space Station at 1:47 p.m. EDT. The STS-127 and Expedition 20 crew members will now begin 11 days of docked operations.

IT WAS A BEFORE TIME DOCKING!!

Commander Mark Polansky docked space shuttle Endeavour to the International Space Station’s Harmony node at 1:47 p.m. EDT while flying about 220 miles above the Gulf of Carpentaria, off the north coast of Australia.

Following leak checks, the hatches between the two craft will open at 3:43 p.m., creating the first 13-member crew in space history. Shortly after hatch opening, NASA Television will air the traditional Welcome Ceremony.

At about 5:13 p.m., Endeavour Mission Specialist Tim Kopra and space station Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata will swap crew affiliations when they exchange Soyuz seatliners. Wakata has spent 124 days in space, 122 days as a space station Expedition crew member. He is the first astronaut to span three Expedition crews – 18, 19 and 20. When he lands aboard Endeavour, he will have served as a member of five space crews, including STS-119 and STS-127.

GREAT JOB

AKSHAY

7 MONTHS ONLY FOR CHANDRAYAAN-1

                                                          A CONDOLENCE TO ISRO

DEAR ALL

CHANDRAYAAN-1'S ABSENCE DURING THIS LAST MONTH WAS A CAUSE OF WORRY.

WE DIDN;T RECEIVE ANY NEWS ABOUT IT.

TODAY IT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED THAT CHANDRAYAAN-1 HAS LOST ITS steering control sensor,STAR SENSOR

WHAT ACTUALLY IS THE PROBLEM IS NOT CLEAR. AS FAR I KNOW

THE SENSOR WHICH KEPT CHANDRAYAAN 1 ALLIGNED WITH MOON AND ENABLED IT TO MAINTAIN ITS ORBIT HAS FAILED!

AS A RESULT, ISRO HAS A LITTLE CONTROL OVER IT.BUT CAN'T MANAGE TO KEEP IT IN THE 100 X 100 KMS ORBIT. 

IN THE LAST MONTH, CHANDRAYAAN'S ORBIT HAD BEEN RAISED FROM 100KM TO 200KM AROUND THE MOON.

THE ISRO AUTHORITIES TOLD IT AS A ROUTINE MANEUVER. BUT IT DIDN'T TUNED UP TO BE A GOOD ACT...

NOW CHANDRAYAAN-1 JUST MANAGED TO WORK FOR 7 MONTHS RATHER THAN WORKING FOR A GUARANTEE OF 2 YRS GIVEN BY ISRO

THE ACTUAL PROBLEM

1] STAR SENSOR

IT IS A SENSOR THAT HELPS CHANDRAYAAN-1 TO FOCUS THE MOON

REPORT--

 a critical part has malfunctioned, Chandrayaan could not be steered accurately. It has difficulty in focusing on specific parts of the moon. And there was a real danger that it could crash into the moon.

TO AVOID THE RISK OF CRASH,ORBIT RAISING TO 200 KM AROUND THE MOON-  POLAR ORBIT

REPORT

The higher orbit also means that India's instrument to measure lunar heights won't function efficiently. There's a real fear that it may not be able to complete its full life of two years. So experiments planned over that time span may be cut short, resulting in gaps of data.

THE INDIAN MENTALITY HELPED SOMEWHAT

emergency response has meant that some experiments are suffering.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE

Some good old Indian  managment  has come to Chandrayaan's rescue. By patching together a couple of other sensors, ISRO has found it has some control in steering the satellite.

COST OF MISSION--   400CRORE RS...

MY CONDOLENCE TO ISRO...

AKSHAY