Insta
India’s First Soft Landing Mission To Moon Delayed Again: Chandrayaan-2 Likely To Be Launched In February
The GSLV MKIII rocket. Despite the delay, the widow will be open until March, ISRO Chairman said. (image via ISRO website)
The Chandrayaan-2, which was supposed to be launched today (3 January 2019), has been delayed and is likely to be launched in February, reports Deccan Chronicle. An ISRO official told PTI, "We are all trying hard. Definitely, it should be possible to launch the mission in February".
ISRO Chairman, K Sivan had told earlier, "The window to launch the Moon mission for landing on its surface is, however, open till March." ISRO has not given a reason for the delay for the second time, the Tribune India reported earlier.
In October 2018, state-run ISRO had put off the launch for unspecified reasons. The Chandrayaan-2 mission, which costs Rs 800 crore, comes a decade after the launch of the Chandrayaan-1 on 22 October 2008, from Sriharikota.
The spacecraft weighing 3,980 KG was supposed to be launch the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mk-3, which would orbit the moon, studying its conditions while collecting data of the moons surface, minerals and exosphere.
The spacecraft, after touching the 100-km lunar orbit, will detach the lander, know as “Vikram” which will slowly descent to make a soft landing at a selected spot on the moon. The lander will, then, deploy a six-wheeled rover. The instruments in the rover will then observe and study the surface of the moon.
India will land its rover on the moon for the first time. The Chandrayaan-2 is expected to do better than its predecessor.
The Chandrayaan-1 was launched in October 2008. It mapped the moon's surface for over nine months before getting lost in August 2009. The mission included a lunar orbiter and an impactor.
If successful, India will become the fourth country in the world to make a soft landing on the moon after the the United States, USSR, and China.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest
