ISRO to launch Chandrayan 2 on GSLV-MK-III in January

Bengaluru, Aug 28: India's second moon mission Chandrayaan-2 will now be launched between January and February 2019, ISRO Chairman K Sivan said on Tuesday.

Sivan informed that the window for launch is in between January 3 to February 16. "In January 2019, we will have a major mission Chandrayaan 2 by GSLV-Mk-III-M1. We have taken a review by experts throughout the country. They appreciated our efforts saying this is the most complex mission ISRO has ever taken", Sivan said.

Chandrayaan-2 will be ISRO's first inter-planetary mission to land a rover on any celestial body.

The ISRO Chief further informed as the mass of Chandrayan 2 has increased to 3.8 ton, it can't be launched by GSLV and hence, ISRO has redefined launch vehicle from GSLV to GSLV-Mk-III.

"It would be the first mission in the world going near South Pole, i.e. 72 degree South is landing site", the ISRO Chairman said.

The Chandrayan-2 mission was earlier slated for October 2018, but the launch date has been rescheduled due of technical glitches.

In October this year ISRO would launch GSAT29 for the Digital India programme and hyper spectrum imaging satellites along with 30 commercial satellites, Sivan said.

The following month GSAT-7A will be launched, while in December there would be two missions,GSLV-F11 launching AMISAT and GSAT-31, a replacement for INSAT 4CR, whose life will get over by January, he said.