New Photos of Chandrayaan-2 Released A Week Ahead of Its Launch

Chandrayaan-2 launch is set to take place on 15 July, from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

Hoisting of the Vikram lander during Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft integration at the launch centre.

(Photo: ISRO)

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has released new photographs of Chandrayaan-2, India’s ambitious Rs 1,000-crore moon mission, a week before its scheduled launch .

The event is set to take place on 15 July, from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

The Pragyan Rover mounted on the ramp projecting from out of the sides of Vikram lander.

Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter at the launch centre.

Transportation of liquid L110 stage for integration into the rocket.

Soft Landing on the Moon

Following the launch, the moon landing will take place on 6 September. The Orbiter will orbit 100 km from the lunar surface, following which the Lander (Vikram) will do the soft landing (in which the lander doesn’t take serious damage) near the south pole of the Moon. The Rover (Pragyan) will then descend the ramp to the moon’s surface.

"Soft landing on the moon would be the most terrifying aspect of the mission as India has never attempted soft landing on another heavenly body," ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan told NDTV. The rover’s life-expectancy is about 14 Earth days, during which it will travel about 500 metres.

The Mission

The mission will have 13 payloads and one passive experiment from American space agency NASA. The 3.8-tonne spacecraft has three components – an Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan).

It will use the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark 3, India’s most powerful rocket, to get to its designated orbit.

ISRO has finished the final phase of the project, where the integration of the components have been undertaken.

Ahead of the launch, ISRO chairman K. Sivan offered special prayers at the Sri Krishna mutt in Udupi, Karnataka, on July 7, reported The Hindu.

This is India’s second mission to the moon. If it succeeds, India will become the fourth nation to achieve this feat, after the US, Russia and China.

(With inputs from NDTV and The Hindu)