Finishing touches to India’s ‘Moon’ dream! Chandrayaan 2 integrates with GSLV MK III
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Bengaluru, Jul. 6: The dream in every Indian’s eye, the 2nd Moon expedition, Chandrayaan 2 is soon to take the leap in the sky. In only 10 days, ISRO will launch the Chandrayaan 2 spacecraft assimilated with Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-III (GSLV Mk-III) rocket to the Moon.
Now, the mission is in the last leg, the latest development involves the successful integration of the spacecraft with the launch vehicle.
On the preparations, ISRO chairman K. Sivan confirmed the news at the seventh convocation of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST). He also added, the launch vehicle will be moved to the launch pad at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh by 7 July, Sunday.
The integrated Chandrayaan 2 spacecraft consists of three modules including the Orbiter, Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover. A total of 13 payloads are distributed across the three modules where the Orbiter and Vikram Lander are stacked upon each other whereas the Pragyan Rover is housed inside the lander.
The Vikram Lander will be carrying out a soft landing on the lunar surface and then the Pragyan Rover will be deployed to move on the surface. Every module has its own set of scientific experiments and objectives. The lander and rover will be functional for 14 days or one lunar day whereas the Orbiter will continue its mission for a year. If all goes according to plan, the lander will touchdown near the South Pole of the Moon on 6 September 2019.