ISRO keeps date with moon, successfully launches Chandrayaan-2

Mumbai: The Indian Space Research Organisation was able to keep its date with moon on Monday after it successfully launched Chandrayan-2 – the country’s first lander mission to the moon – through an extremely narrow window of opportunity lasting a few minutes.

The launch of Chandrayaan-2 was originally slated for July 16 when it had a window of over an hour but had to be aborted an hour before lift-off because of a fuel leak.

Photos | Preparing for Chandrayaan-2

Chandrayaan-2, India's indigenous moon mission was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh at 2.43 pm on Monday. The 20-hour countdown for the launch of India's second lunar exploration mission after Chandrayaan-1, began on Sunday evening.

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Ritu Karidhal who is the mission director had authorised the launch of Chandrayaan-2 at 02:30 pm on Monday.

Soon after the launch, the Chairman of ISRO K Sivan said the launch was the beginning of a historical journey to the moon. "We were hit by a technical snag on July 16 but ISRO bounced back and passed the test with flying colours," Sivan said.

"I salue all those who have worked hard," he added. 

Sivan said that the Chandrayaan-2 will perform 15 crucial manoeuvres in the days to come. Sivan said that all the preparatory works regarding the launch have been completed and technical snags that developed in the first attempt have been rectified.

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This project is very special for the Indian Space Research Organisation as for the first time a woman is heading any project at the ISRO, said K Sivan, Chairman of ISRO.

Read | Chandrayaan 2: 'Rocket Women' lead India's second lunar mission

Also, 30 per cent of the team comprises women. Vanitha and Karidhal have been associated with ISRO for more than two decades.

The Chandrayaan-2 will make a soft landing on the Moon on September 7, 2019.