ISRO to launch Chandrayaan 2 between July 9 and July 16

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)on Wednesday announced that their second lunar mission Chandrayaan 2 to be launched between July 9 and July 16. Wary of failure after Israel’s unsuccessful attempt to land on Moon, Chandrayaan-2 has been further postponed to July, an ISRO official said.

The launch of India’s Moon mission was scheduled in April but it was postponed after Israel’s Beresheet spacecraft crashed during moon landing early this month. The ambitious mission was a first for a private effort. “Landing on the Moon is a very complex mission and all the exigencies have to be factored in,” the official added.

Chandrayaan-2 was scheduled to be launched in April last year, but it was postponed to October after ISRO lost contact with GSAT-6A in March 2018. Following the setback, the ISRO grew cautious about its missions to ensure there was no failure. The postponement of the ambitious mission was due to two setbacks it faced in two years.

Chandrayaan-2 is one of the crucial launches for the space agency, particularly after Chandrayaan-1 and Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission).  It is also ISRO’s first mission to land on any celestial body. 

Chandrayaan 2 has three modules namely Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan). The Orbiter and Lander modules will be interfaced mechanically and stacked together as an integrated module and accomodated inside the GSLV MK-III launch behicle.. 

The Rover is housed inside the Lander. After launch into earth bound orbit by GSLV MK-III, the integrated module will reach Moon orbit using Orbiter propulsion module. 

Subsequently, Lander will separate from the Orbiter and soft land at the predetermined site close to lunar South Pole. Further, the Rover will roll out for carrying out scientific experiments on the lunar surface.

Instruments are also mounted on Lander and Orbiter for carrying out scientific experiments.