'Chandrayaan-2 might lead to a new study in science' says Dr Nikhel Gupta

Dr Nikhel Gupta, a research fellow at University of Melbourne's School of Physics, said, “If there was no technical glitch in lander Vikram, it would open a window for new science. It could throw more light on what we already have learned about the moon’s magnetic field.”

Chandrayaan 2 India's Moon mission's control room. The space agency lost communication with its spacecraft just before it was due to land. Source: EPA

India’s moon mission, Chandrayaan 2 was moments away from making a soft landing on the moon on Saturday before it lost contact with India’s space agency, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation).

But all is not lost, says Dr Nikhel Gupta, a research fellow at the School of Physics at the University of Melbourne.

As ISRO said, India’s Chandrayaan-2 mission objectives have been accomplished and it would continue contributing to lunar science despite the loss of communication with the lander Vikram.

The Chandrayaan-2 mission was launched on its journey to the Moon on July 22.

It reached Moon's orbit on August 20 2019.

The lander Vikram lost communication when it was around 2.1 km away from its intended landing on the south pole of Moon in early hours of September 7.

"The mission’s finding will enrich NASA's understanding of who is planning its mission/s. It will also help other countries including Australia who has renewed its space program after being nonexistent for decades," Dr Gupta said while talking about Chandrayaan-2 mission’s various phases and objectives.

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