> The orbit achieved is 114 km x 18072 km.
Are there plans to circularize this orbit, or will the lander be the only part that enters an orbit that isn’t highly elliptical?
Are there plans to circularize this orbit, or will the lander be the only part that enters an orbit that isn’t highly elliptical?
"Following this, a series of orbit maneuvers will be performed on Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft to enable it to enter its final orbit passing over the lunar poles at a distance of about 100 km from the Moon’s surface.
Subsequently, the lander will separate from the Orbiter and enters into a 100 km X 30 km orbit around the Moon. Then, it will perform a series of complex braking maneuvers to soft land in the South polar region of the Moon on September 7, 2019."
A 100 km X 30 km looks like elliptical orbit to me.
100km X 30km are ELEVATIONS, meaning the real orbit is diameter of Moon + 100km X diameter of Moon + 30km.
If you had this scaled and drawn on a sheet of you would need very accurate instrument to detect any deviation from perfect circle.
3,574km X 3,504km
That helped me a bit.
100km x 30km orbit around moon, what was I thinking - facepalm (－‸ლ)
Over time the eccentric orbit will swing away from pointing at Earth. They will do burns at perigee and the eccentricity will gradually contract until the orbit is about circular. After a week it has Earth in view full- time, a good time to do the final burns; after 2 weeks it has swung around to going behind the moon again, still going over the poles. They will land during the first period when the orbiter is in view full-time.
Congratulations to everyone from India. This has to be a proud moment.