Chandrayaan 2 launch countdown begins! The countdown for the much-awaited Chandrayaan 2 mission of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has begun this evening. “The launch countdown of #GSLVMkIII-M1/#Chandrayaan2 commenced today at 1843 Hrs IST. The launch is scheduled at 1443 Hrs IST on July 22nd. More updates to follow…” tweeted ISRO’s official Twitter handle. Chandrayaan 2 is India’s ambitious lunar mission in which for the first time, an Indian lander will touchdown on the surface of the Moon, and a rover will roll out to explore the surface of the Moon. Chandrayaan 2 will be launched by ISRO from Sriharikota at 2:43 PM on Monday, July 22.
India’s second lunar mission, the Chandrayaan 2, has been delayed by a week with the launch being called off less than an hour before schedule on July 15. This was after ISRO said it observed a technical snag in the launch vehicle, the GSLV-MK III. The launch vehicle is ISRO’s heaviest and the Chandrayaan 2 mission will test its ability ahead of the upcoming Gaganyaan manned mission of the space agency.
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ISRO is posting live updates ahead of the launch and soon after the countdown began, also tweeted, “UH25 (fuel) filling of liquid core stage (L110) of #GSLVMkIII-M1 commenced. #Chandrayaan2 #ISRO Stay tuned for more updates….”
Even though the launch of the Chandrayaan 2 mission has been delayed, ISRO hopes to land on the Moon as per its original schedule on September 6. “Vikram”, the lander, will make a gradual soft landing on the lunar surface, after which the rover “Pragyan” will roll out to explore the surface. The landing has been planned between Manzinus C and Simpelius N craters of the Moon, on a high plain.
Chandrayaan 2 aims to explore the South polar region of the Moon – a place where no country has gone before. According to ISRO, the chances of water are higher on the south side of the Moon.