India’s second mission to the moon, Chandrayaan-2, is all set to be launched on July 15, at 02.51 hours. The spacecraft will take 50 days to land on the moon and that is, on September 6 or 7. It will have three components – the orbiter, the lander and the rover, travelling a distance of 3.84 lakh km before reaching the moon’s orbit.
The ISRO Chairman K Sivan said that the launch strategy is similar to that of Chandrayaan-1 launched in 2008. It was the first to discover water on the moon. Now, Chandrayaan-2, after its launch Sriharikota on July 15, it will take 16 days to reach the earth’s orbit using the rocket’s propulsion system.
After reaching the moon’s orbit in 50 days, Chandrayaan 2 will revolve around the moon for 27 days to de-orbit the lander on its surface. It will take 15 minutes for the lander, named Vikram, to soft-land on the moon from a distance of 30 km. However, Chairman Sivan describes these 15 minutes as the “most terrifying moment”.
It is indeed crucial because ISRO is attempting for the first time with such a complex mission. If the soft landing is successful, India will be the fourth country to land on the moon. “We have left no stones unturned and have done testing at the molecular level. We have full confidence and that is why we are going ahead with the mission,” he added. The main objectives of this spacecraft is to quantify the water available on the moon’s surface and explore minerals such as magnesium, ion and Helium.
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