Chandrayaan-2 to perform 15 manoeuvres, says ISRO chairman K Sivan

Chennai: India's ambitious unmanned lunar mission – Chandrayaan-2 – the launch of which was earlier suspended due to a technical glitch, will perform 15 crucial manoeuvres in the days to come, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Sivan said on Sunday.

The countdown for the launch of Chandrayaan-2, the country's second lunar exploration mission after Chandrayaan-1, will begin at 6.43 PM on Sunday.

ISRO has successfully completed the launch rehearsal of the Chandrayaan-2 mission. 

Launch rehearsal of #GSLVMkIII-M1 / #Chandrayaan2 mission completed, performance normal#ISRO — ISRO (@isro) July 20, 2019

 

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The launch is slated for July 22.

Chandrayaan 2 is ready to take a billion dreams to the Moon — now stronger than ever before! Join us for the launch on Monday — 22 July, 2019 — at 2:43 PM IST.
#Chandrayaan2 #GSLVMkIII #ISRO pic.twitter.com/4ybFcHNkq6 — ISRO (@isro) July 18, 2019

 

"Chandrayaan-2 will be launched on Monday afternoon. All the preparatory works regarding the launch have been completed. Technical snags that developed in the first attempt have been rectified," Sivan told reporters.

"The 20-hour countdown will begin at 6.43 PM on Sunday. It will be launched at 2.43 PM on Monday. All arrangements are going well," he added.

Sivan said that Chandrayaan-2 will be landing on the moon very slowly. 

"It will land on the South Pole. There is a lot of scientific testing to be done regarding the mission. Scientists around the world are looking forward to the launch," said Sivan.

The Chandrayaan-2 was scheduled to be launched on July 15. However, less than an hour before the launch, the mission was aborted after a technical snag was detected.

Chandrayaan-2 launch, which was called off due to a technical snag on July 15, 2019, is now rescheduled at 2:43 pm IST on Monday, July 22, 2019. #Chandrayaan2 #GSLVMkIII #ISRO — ISRO (@isro) July 18, 2019

 

Chandrayaan-2 will explore a region of Moon where no mission has ever set foot. 

The spacecraft consists of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover together referred to as "composite body." 

The probe`s total mass is 3.8 ton and is expected to land on the Moon`s south polar region on September 6 or 7 this year.

It will be the first Indian expedition to attempt a soft landing on the lunar surface. 

With the successful launch of Chandrayaan-2, India will enter an elite club of nations after the US, Russia, and China to carry out a soft landing on Moon.