The moon seems to be in limelight these days. Recently, the Hollywood movie Moonlight grabbed the Oscars for the best movie at the 89th Academy Awards.
While there in Hollywood, the star cast of this flick were feeling like being on the moon after grabbing the Oscars. Here in India, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is actually aiming to reach to the moon again.
After the record-breaking success of launching 104 satellites in a single rocket, ISRO is planning to conduct descent experiments on the moon for the second lunar exploration, Chandrayaan-2 to the moon. The Chandrayaan-2 is scheduled to be launched in the year 2018, nearly 10 years after the first lunar probe, Chandrayaan-1 was launched
ISRO chairman confirms that they are planning to launch two satellites for descent experiments in the months of March and April this year from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. Out of the two, the GSLV Mk-II rocket with Saarc satellite is scheduled to be launched by March end while GSLV Mk-III rocket will be launched in April.
The Chandrayan-2 will be launched with the help of a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) in the early phase of 2018. It includes a lunar orbiter, lander, and rover, all developed domestically.
Unlike the Chandrayaan-1, the Chandrayaan-2 has been designed for a controlled descent on the moon. ISRO further says that the spacecraft is equipped and ground trials are currently undergoing at Mahendragiri.
This launch is said to be an important breakthrough for the forthcoming Indian space programs.
Image Credit: OhmyIndia.com
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