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Do you know about NASA - CHIPS Mission. I bet you dont...

CHIPS (Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer) is an American (NASA) astrophysics spacecraft that was launched by a Delta 2 rocket from Vandenberg AFB at 00:45 UT on 13 January 2003. The 60 kg, triaxially-stabilized spacecraft has a spectrograph covering the 9-26 nm wavelength band at a resolution of 0.1 nm, scanning the entire sky in chunks of 5 degree x 27 degree segments during each orbit. The targets are the hot and diffuse nebulae at about a million degrees temperature. The band covers several strong emission lines. Launch Date:   2003-01 13     Launch Vehicle:  Delta II Launch Site:   Vandenberg AFB, United States Mass:   60 kg  CHIPS carried out an all-sky survey of the diffuse background at wavelengths from  90  to 260 Å at a spectral resolution between about λ / 150 and λ / 40, and a spatial resolution of 5 to 15 degrees. CHIPS detected diffuse emission near 170 Å, but this turned out to be a...
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Indian Lunar Mission Chandrayaan 2 delayed Now Schedule to be launched in October

Image for Visualization Purpose Only. Not related to Lunar Program.


Chandrayaan-2 , India's Second Lunar Mission which was earlier planned to be launched in May 2018 is delayed due to unproductive launch conditions.

Chandrayaan-2 is now scheduled to be launched no earlier than October 2018,and will attempt to soft land a lander and rover in a high plain between two craters, Manzinus C and Simpelius N, at a latitude of about 70° south. If successful, Chandrayaan-2 will be the first-ever mission to land a rover near the lunar south pole.

The mission is planned to fly on a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV Mk II) with an approximate lift-off mass of 3,250 kg (7,170 lb) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Sriharikota Island. After reaching the 100 km lunar orbit, the Lander housing the Rover will separate from the Orbiter. After a controlled descent, the Lander will soft land on the lunar surface at a specified site and deploy a Rover.
The mission will carry a six-wheeled Rover which will move around the landing site in semi-autonomous mode as decided by the ground commands. The instruments on the rover will observe the lunar surface and send back data, which will be useful for analysis of the lunar soil.

The Chandrayaan-2 weighing around 3290 kg and would orbit around the moon and perform the objectives of remote sensing the moon. The payloads will collect scientific information on lunar topography, mineralogy, elemental abundance, lunar exosphere and signatures of hydroxyl and water-ice.
As of February 2018, the mission has been allocated a fund of US$125 million.

Unlike its predecessor Chandrayaan 1 which was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation in October 2008 using a PSLV-XL rocket, , and operated until August 2009. Chandrayaan 2 is much different in terms of its tools, landing site and also the technicalities involved in this misssion.

Chandrayaan 2 will be the first-ever mission to attempt to land a rover near the lunbar south pole.

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