New Delhi:
ISRO is all set to launch the Chandrayaan-2 on Monday (July 22, 2019) at 2.43 pm from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on-board GSLV Mk-III on July 22, 2019. Chandrayaan-2 mission, which is India's second Moon mission after Chandrayaan-1, will target a completely unexplored section of the Moon that is, its “South Polar region - Aitken Basin”.
As soon as Chandrayaan-2 succeeds in a soft landing on the Moon, it will be a historic moment for India and as well as ISRO.
The historic launch of Chandrayaan-2 was supposed to take place on July 15, 2019, however, it was called off due to technical snag. It is to be noted that Chandrayaan-2 was all set to be launched from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh at 2:51 am with a rover that would land on the moon in about two months' time. However, the launch was stopped 56 minutes and 24 seconds before take-off at 1.55 am following the announcement from the Mission Control Centre.
Confusion prevailed for several minutes before ISRO came out with an official confirmation about the launch being cancelled. President Ram Nath Kovind was present at the space port for the mission.
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Chandrayaan-2: Elements
Chandrayaan-2 has three elements including the Rover, the Lander and the Orbiter. As soon as the spacecraft will land on the moon, the lander will separate from the Orbiter and then perform a series of complex manoeuvres comprising of tough braking and fine braking. The lander, named Vikram, will land near the Moon’s South Pole and then it will then carry out experiments on Lunar surface for 1 Lunar day. A single lunar day is equal to 14 Earth days. However. Orbiter will continue its mission for a duration of one year.
Also Read: Here’s why ISRO cancelled Chandrayaan-2 launch less than an hour before schedule
Chandrayaan-2: Mission
The historic Chandrayaan-2 mission will target a completely unexplored section of the Moon that is, its “South Polar region - Aitken Basin”. By conducting topographical studies and mineralogical analyses alongside a few other experiments on the Moon’s Surface, the ISRO’s ambitious mission aimed to get a better understanding of the Moon’s origin and its evolution. The mission is being considered as a challenge since no space agency has ever explored the South Polar Region of the Moon.
Importantly, Chandrayaan-1 made more than 3,400 orbits around the moon and was operational for 312 days till August 29, 2009.
