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News Science ISRO's Chandrayaan-2 launch at 2:43 pm today | 10 points

ISRO's Chandrayaan-2 launch at 2:43 pm today | 10 points

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has said the snag that had led to a delay in the launch of Chandrayaan 2 mission has now been fixed. The Chandrayaan 2 mission is now slated to be launched at 2:43 pm today. The countdown for the launch of Chandrayaan 2 had begun Sunday evening and is progressing smoothly. Earlier on July 15, the Chandrayaan 2 mission was aborted an hour before launch due to engine leakage.

ISRO's Chandrayaan-2 mission launch Image Source : PTIISRO's Chandrayaan-2 launch at 2:43 pm today
India TV News Desk New DelhiPublished : Jul 22, 2019 7:25 IST Updated : Jul 22, 2019 12:42 IST

ISRO is all set for India's ambitious lunar mission, the 20-hour launch countdown for Chandrayaan-2 began Sunday evening at 6.43 pm, tweeted space agency ISRO. Chandrayaan-2, India's ambitious Rs. 1,000-crore moon mission, is set to be launched at 2.43 pm today. Chandrayaan 2 is the second mission to the moon of India. "Chandrayaan-2 consists of an orbiter, a lander called Vikram and a rover known as Pragyan. If all goes according to plan, touchdown will occur on September 7". 

The moon mission will lift-off from Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota, days after the first launch attempt was called off.

The mission was aborted 56 minutes and 24 seconds before its launch last Monday after a technical snag was discovered in the unmanned launch vehicle system. In its announcement, ISRO had said that the step to delay the launch was taken "as a measure of abundant precaution".

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be live streaming the Chandrayaan-2 launch on its Twitter and Facebook page.

10 interesting facts about Chandrayaan 2

  1. 'One day on the Moon lasts as long as 29.5 Earth days.'
  2. Solar energy will be used by both the lander and the rover to generate electricity.
  3. ISRO wants to know if the water is permanently found on the shadowed part of the Moon.
  4. ISRO chief K. Sivan said that the most terrifying part of the mission is 15 minutes after the lander separates from the orbiter.
  5. The rover ‘Pragyan’ is tucked inside the ‘Vikram’ lander and it will roll out after the lander makes its soft landing.
  6. ISRO will be carrying 13 indigenous payloads and one instrument from NASA which is the Laser Retroreflector Array. Its mission life will last longer than Chandrayaan 2 and will study the Moon's interiors.
  7. The lander and rover will be conducting their experiments in over a period of 15 days.
  8. The rover has six wheels that will be painted in the Tricolor.
  9. The total cost of the Chandrayaan 2 mission is Rs 603 crores, excluding the rocket.
  10. Chandrayaan 2 is scheduled to launch on 15 July 2019 at 2.51 am IST from Sriharikota. If everything goes as planned, the lander will touchdown on the surface of Moon on 6 September 2019.

Also Read | Chandrayaan-2 rover-lander tested on 'moon surface' created with Salem soil

Also Read | Snag that aborted Chandrayaan-2 mission fixed

Video: Countdown begins as Chandrayaan-2 to be launched today at 2:43 pm