In a first of its kind in space technology, India will fly an instrument to the Moon. Called Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS), it will be a part of the rover which will fly on Chandrayaan-2, India’s second mission to the Moon, tentatively slated to lift off in 2014. Chandrayaan-2 will consist of an orbiter, lander and rover. While the orbiter and rover will be from India, the lander will be from Russia. The rocket will be the three-stage Geo-Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle. Mr S V S Murty of the Ahmedabad-based Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), an ISRO affiliate, told TOI that the APXS has been successfully used on Nasa’s three missions to Mars the Pathfinder, Spirit and Opportunity. It is also a part of the Mars Science Laboratory which will land on Mars on August 6, 2012. This is the first time the instrument is being flown to the Moon, he said.

Source: Times of India

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