Bharathiyar University felicitates Mylswamy Annadurai

Coimbatore, Dec 6 (ANI): Bharathiyar University in Coimbatore felicitated Mylswamy Annadurai, the Indian Space Research Organization's (ISRO) scientist and the Project Director of Chandrayaan 1, India's first unmanned mission to moon.

Addressing the media persons here last evening, Annadurai said that Chandrayaan-1 is functioning well and as per schedule the switches were turned on today.

"As we planned, in December first week onwards, we will be switching on one-by-one, another two systems also. So, that is happening for the high-energy X-rays instruments today. Otherwise, all X-rays systems are functioning well. Subsequently, we will go for other systems," said Mylswamy.

He further informed that the data is pouring in from Chandrayaan- 1 and scientists are minutely observing all the details.

He also explained that Chandrayaan-2, ISRO's US dollar 90 million lunar exploration mission is all set for the launch to held in the year 2012.

"Chandrayaan -1 is a remote sensing machine. Though, we have moon impact probe it was sent during the 25 minutes period only. After that, this functioning was not under surface whereas, in Chandrayaan- 2, we have a soft planting machine. It lands on the place where we are suppose land as per data given by Chandrayaan- 1 on date. It will land and a rover will come out- a robotic arm comes out. It goes around the moon that is placed and tries to do hints of analysis," said Mylswamy.

"We will try to identify and qualify the findings of Chandrayaan-1 and will the same happen to Chandrayaan 2," added Mylswamy.

The Chandrayaan-1 was launched on October 22, by PSLV-C11. It has putndia in an elite lunar club of which Russia, the USA, Japan, China anduropean Space Agency are the members.

India is also planning to launch satellite 'Aditya' to study the sun by012.

India hopes to send an astronaut into space by 2012 and a manned mission to the moon by 2020.

India started its space programme in 1963, developing its own satellites and launch vehicles to reduce dependence on overseas agencies. (ANI)