Russian company Isotope (part of Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation) on Tuesday said it has supplied Cm - 244 alpha - emitter to be installed in a scientific instrument in India's Chandrayaan - 2 satellite.
In a statement, Isotope said it has supplied Cm - 244 alpha - emitter to Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, which comes under the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
"Radionuclide curium - 244 (Cm - 244) manufactured by Russian 'State Scientific Center - Research Institute of Atomic Reactors' (JSC SSC RIAR) is a pure alpha - emitter that enables sources to determine chemical composition of any rocks and soils, " the statement added.
It will be installed on the Alpha Proton X - Ray Spectrometer (APXS) aimed at analysing the lunar surface within the India's second lunar exploration mission Chandrayaan - 2.
The launch of spacecraft is scheduled for 2018.
According to the statement, Russia has already supplied similar products to USA for launching of three NASA's expeditions - Mars Pathfinder (1997), Opportunity (2004) and Curiosity (2012) dedicated to explore rock chemistry on Mars.
In 2014 the world's first soft landing of the Rosetta spacecraft on Comet Churyumov - Gerasimenko took place.
The lander Philae, equipped with Russian made Cm - 244 transmitted high - accuracy data about the comet's surface composition to Earth.
Cm - 244 production is carried out only by two countries - Russia and the US.
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