India is planning to touch down on the lunar surface by September 6 and is going to become the fourth nation to successfully land on the lunar surface after the US, Russia and China.
Chandrayaan-2, India’s second lunar mission, is expected to take place between 9th July and 16th July 2019.
Chandryaan-1(India’s first lunar mission in 2008), was a big success but it involved only orbiting the moon. The spacecraft made more than 3400 orbits around the moon and it successfully completed all the major mission objectives. However Chandrayaan-2 is going to make a soft landing on the moon on September 6.
More about Chandrayaan-2
Chandrayaan-2 mission to the moon’s surface aims to land near Lunar South Pole, which is a currently unexplored territory. The spacecraft will be launched using the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk III (GSLV Mk III) from Sriharikota and it might take 35 to 45 days to reach the Moon.
Chandrayaan-2 will have three modules, the Orbiter, the Lander (named Vikram) and the Rover (named Pragyan). According to ISRO’s official statement, after landing the lunar surface, the Rover will spend 14 Earth days there; analyze the content of the moon and carry out various experiments. The Rover will then wire back data and images to Earth through the Orbiter, within 15 minutes.
