ISRO to launch Chandrayaan 2 between July 9-16, landing expected in September

New Delhi, May 01: India's much-delayed second lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2, has got yet another launch window. The mission is now set to be launched any time between July 5 and July 16 this year.

Chandrayaan-2 was scheduled to be launched in April last year, but it was postponed to October after ISRO lost contact with GSAT-6A in March 2018.

Following the setback, the ISRO grew cautious about its missions to ensure there was no failure. The postponement of the ambitious mission was due to two setbacks it faced in two years.

In April last year, K Sivan informed the government about the postponement of the launch to October-November 2018. A national-level committee to review Chandrayaan-2 recommended some additional tests before the mission could take off.

Last year, the ISRO also recalled the launch of GSAT-11 from from Kourou, French Guiana, for additional technical checks. Chandrayaan-2 is one of the crucial launches for the space agency, particularly after Chandrayaan-1 and Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission). It is also ISRO's first mission to land on any celestial body.

Chandrayaan-2 will be ISRO's first time attempt to land a rover on the Moon. The rover of India's second lunar mission, costing nearly Rs 800 crore, will be made to land near the yet-unexplored south pole.