Chandrayaan-2 launch today: How mission will stick to timeline despite delay

The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft will spend six additional days in Earth’s orbit and 15 fewer days around the Moon before it lands on the day that was originally planned, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) scientists have said, giving details of how the mission will stick to its timelines despite a week’s delay. The 20-hour countdown for the lift-off at 2.43pm on Monday began on Sunday evening, six days after the July 15 attempt had to be aborted with just 56 minutes and 24 seconds left on the clock. The delay was forced by a leak in the engine of the GSLV-MkIII rocket that is to carry the Chandrayaan-2 into space.