The much-anticipated launch of Chandrayaan-2, India's second mission to the Moon, called off due to a technical glitch on July 15, is likely to take place later this month. The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has successfully rectified the fault and is looking forward to the launch the mission before the end of July, sources have told India Today.
The countdown to the launch of Chandrayaan-2, onboard the GSLV Mk-III rocket, was scheduled for 2.51 am on July 15. It was, however, stopped 56 minutes and 24 seconds before lift-off.
"A technical snag was observed in the launch vehicle system at t-minus 56 minutes. As a measure of abundant precaution Chandrayaan 2 launch has been called off for today [July 15]," Isro Associate Director (Public Relations) B R Guruprasad had said.
"Launch is called off due to technical snag. It is not possible to make the launch within the (launch) window. (A new) launch schedule will be announced later," an Isro official had said.
India's space agency had earlier scheduled the launch in the first week of January but shifted it to July 15.
The Chandrayaan-2 is supposed to explore the uncharted lunar south pole, 11 years after ISRO's successful first lunar mission-- Chandrayaan-1, which made more than 3,400 orbits around the moon and was operational for 312 days till August 29, 2009.
The Rs 978 crore Chandrayaan-2, on-board the heavy-lift rocket Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle GSLV-Mk-III, nicknamed Baahubali, will take 54 days to accomplish the task of landing on the Moon through meticulously planned orbital phases.
Billed as the most complex and prestigious mission ever undertaken by the ISRO since its inception, Chandrayaan-2 is set to make India the fourth country to soft-land a rover on the lunar surface after Russia, the United States and China.
The Chandrayaan-2 would be carried by the GSLV-MkIII, dubbed 'Fat Boy' by Indian scientists for its ability to carry satellites weighing up to four tonnes.
Asked about the total mission cost, Sivan said it was Rs 1,000 Crore.
About the 'Gaganyaan' project, India's maiden human spaceflight programme, Sivan said it was progressing and the first unmanned mission would be taken up in December next year. "Currently, the design phase has been completed. Realisation phase is going on," he said.
Two unmanned missions would be taken up, the first in December 2020 and the second on July 2021. "In December 2021, we are planning to send humans into space," he said. About selection of candidates for the mission, he said it was proceeding on schedule.
Chandrayaan-2 is an advanced version of the previous Chandrayaan-1 mission which had 11 payloads — five from India, three from Europe, two from the US and one from Bulgaria. The first mission had the credit for the discovery of water on the lunar surface.
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