Bengaluru: India’s ambitious second mission to the Moon Chandrayaan-2 will now lift off at 2.43 pm on July 22, space agency ISRO said on Thursday, three days after the launch was aborted due to a technical snag in its GSLV-Mk-III rocket.
Chandrayaan-2, which will be launched on board the most powerful GSLV-Mk-III rocket dubbed ‘Baahubali, is ready ‘to take a billion dreams to the Moon’, the Indian Space Research Organisation said on Twitter. On July 15, the launch was called off 56 minutes and 24 seconds before the scheduled blast off at 1.55 am from the spaceport in Sriharikota following a technical problem in the rocket.
‘Chandrayaan-2 launch, which was called off due to a technical snag on July 15, 2019, is now rescheduled at 2:43 pm IST on Monday, July 22, 2019,’ ISRO tweeted on Thursday. It thanked the public for their support, which it said ‘propels us (ISRO) forth, yet again’.
“Reaching greater heights is part physics and part faith. Thank you for giving us more than enough of the latter!” ISRO wrote in a tweet.
‘Chandrayaan 2 is ready to take a billion dreams to the Moon – now stronger than ever before! Join us for the launch on Monday – 22 July, 2019 – at 2:43 PM IST,” it added. The glitch had occurred when liquid propellant was being loaded into the rocket’s indigenous cryogenic upper stage engine.
Several space scientists had said the space agency must be appreciated for calling off the launch of rather than hurrying into a major disaster. (PTI)