Spacecamino's Chandrayaan 1 live wallpaper gives you 10 space mission themed wallpapers and lockscreens. Realistic computer generated imagery creates otherwise inaccessible shots of the trailblazing Chandrayaan 1 Moon mission.

Videos can be applied as a background, or to both the home and lockscreen. App works for phone or tablet, but content optimized for a portrait 16:9 aspect ratio.

- Enjoy spaceart of otherwise impossible views of space exploration
- Wallpapers themed around key Chandrayaan 1 moon mission highlights
- Realistic modelling based on highest accuracy space mission data publicly available
- Video mix includes dark wallpaper and light backgrounds
- Video loops range from 18 up to 80 seconds
- All videos play; higher MB and bit rates use more device resources while running
- All media contained within app, which functions offline

Chandrayaan 1 was the Indian Space Research Organization’s first lunar mission. Its goal was to image the lunar surface, map its chemistry and mineralogy, and look for evidence of water. The presence of water had long been suspected, particularly in the permanently shaded regions of polar craters. Chandrayaan 1 was the first mission to confirm its presence with data from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper and Chandra’s Altitudinal Composition Explorer (CHASE) instruments.

Chandrayaan 1 launched October 22, 2008, into an elliptical Earth orbit. Over the following two weeks it made five engine firings, gradually raising the orbit apogee out to lunar distance of 380,000 km. On November 8 it fired its engines again, this time slowing the spacecraft so it could be captured by the Moon’s gravity, causing it to enter a polar lunar orbit. Once there, three maneuvers achieved its circular operations orbit of around 100 km altitude.

The spacecraft comprised an orbiter and Moon impactor probe. On November 14, after 75 orbits, the probe was released from the orbiting spacecraft. It had mass of 29 kg and was designed to fall from orbit and impact the surface. It was released at latitude 13.5 degrees South to ensure landing near the South pole. It took around twenty-five minutes for the probe to make its landing, before impacting the surface at 1.5 km/s. The exact landing site was determined through analysis of its last surface images.

During the probe’s descent its three instruments operated and sent data back to the orbiter. These comprised a radar altimeter, video imaging system, and CHASE. These took images of the surface and analysed the composition of the tenuous lunar atmosphere. From CHASE, which took readings every 4 seconds, evidence for water was found, though not published until this was confirmed by the more extensive data taken by the Moon Minerology Mapper instrument on the orbiter itself.

While the impactor mission lasted minutes, the orbiter mission took 9 months. It had been planned to operate in lunar orbit for up to two years, however, but as it completed 95% of its objectives the mission is considered a success overall.

Chandrayaan 1 was not alone in orbit initially. JAXA’s SELenological and Engineering Explorer (SELENE) and its two subsatellites “Ouna” and “Okina” were already in orbit. As was Chang’e 1, the first Chinese lunar mission. All these missions ended in 2009.

Chandrayaan 1 is not the only South pole surface mission. NASA’s Lunar Prospector was deliberately impacted into the Shoemaker crater July 31, 1999. Its plume was observed from Earth, however, no water was detected. Following the Chandrayaan 1 mission’s discoveries, NASA launched LCROSS, which impacted the Cabeus crater October 9, 2009. Water was detected. To continue South pole exploration, ISRO launched Chandrayaan 2 in 2019. Its lander unfortunately crashed and this part of the mission was lost. Chandrayaan 3, due mid 2023, will recreate some lost elements.

Spacecamino products are not affiliated in any way with the Indian Space Research Organization, or any other space agency, organization or company.