ISRO, which stands for the Indian Space Research Organization, is the official space agency of India. Over the years, ISRO has earned a reputation for designing extremely affordable and low-budget space exploration missions.
Some time ago, ISRO announced that its second date with the moon, the aptly named Charndrayaan 2, will be launched on July 14, 2019.
An Overview of India’s Second Lunar Mission
Chandrayan 2 is the spiritual successor to the highly successful Chandrayaan 1 moon mission undertaken by ISRO in 2008, more than a decade ago. People around the world, both scientists and technology-enthusiasts, have long been excited about the Chandrayaan 2 mission.
Some of the factors that make this mission unique are:
- It is the first space campaign undertaken by India that will attempt a ‘soft-landing’ on the lunar surface.
- If the mission is a success, India will become the fourth country on earth to succeed in doing a soft landing on the surface of the moon.
- The Chandrayaan 2 will carry numerous payloads to the lunar surface, including a rover and a lander.
- It is set to be the first rover-based space campaign attempted by Indian scientists. Hence, for the first time ever, India will send a vehicle to explore the surface of the moon and collect data to carry back home.
- Additionally, the Chandrayaan 2 mission will be the first time that any country on earth attempts to reach the polar region (dark side) of the moon. If successful, it will enable India to set a world record…in space!
- The launch vehicle to be used for the mission is known as the GSLV Mk III. It is the most powerful launcher India has and was designed and manufactured entirely within the country.
- The lander that will be used by Chandrayaan 2 is called Vikram. It was named after Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, who is revered as the father of our country’s space program.
- A robotic vehicle powered by artificial intelligence (AI), known as Pragyan, is the real star of the upcoming space mission. It has a total of six wheels and derives its name from the Sanskrit word for ‘wisdom’.
If all goes according to plan, the Chandrayaan 2 is expected to make a soft landing on the surface of the moon on September 6th, 2019 according to source
A Giant Leap Forward for India
The mission will last for one whole year, during which time the rover will have to collect all the data available on the lunar surface. This is of particular importance because it is the first time a vehicle sent by humans will come into contact with the so-called dark side of the moon.
At exactly 2:51am on the 15th of July, the Chandrayaan 2 mission will be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Station run by ISRO in Sriharikota.
A lucky few will be able to watch the event live from the launch site on the island of Sriharikota. Others can always watch this historic event live on their phone or computer screen, as it will be telecast on all of the social media channels operated by ISRO.
ISRO’s Chandrayaan 2 is about to conquer totally uncharted territory on the moon! So, whether you are a patriot or a space enthusiast (or both), be sure to stay tuned for this epic journey that may well change the way we view the universe and everything in it.
Banner Image by Reimund Bertrams from Pixabay
