ISRO has announced that the launch of Chandrayaan-2, the nation’s second moon mission, will be on July 15th at 2:51 am from the spaceport of Sriharikota. Powered by Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III, the spacecraft includes a lunar orbiter, lander (Vikram) and rover (Pragyan) developed indigenously. The lander will soft land on the moon and deploy the rover. The orbiter will orbit the moon. The landing of Chandrayaan-2 will be on September 6th or 7th. ISRO said: “We are expecting to find water. We never left any stone unturned and we’ve conducted thousands of tests. Chandrayaan-2 will land near Moon’s South Pole. It will take 15 minutes to land and will be the most terrifying moment because ISRO has never undertaken such a flight.” The reason for selecting the Moon’s South Pole includes the expected higher availability of water and minerals, the flat surface with good visibility which will aid landing, and the high amount of solar light which will be crucial to the mission.

ISRO has revealed that: “After landing, Rover door will open. This will be the next important moment; it will take four hours from the time of landing to the time rover comes out. We might have landing pictures within 15 minutes.” While the rover and lander have a life of one lunar day during which they will conduct scientific experiments, the orbiter has a life of one year. The orbiter and lander will communicate to the earth directly.

“We will be looking for imaging of rock for elements like magnesium, calcium and iron and also for signs of water. It will also study exosphere of the moon,” ISRO said. The spacecraft’s total mass is 3.8 tonnes and the mission costs Rs 603 crore. The mission is an advanced version of the Chandrayaan-1 launched in 2008.