Chandrayaan-2 launch called off due to technical snag
Chandrayaan-2, India's most ambitious space mission till now, which was scheduled to be launched from Satish Dhawan Space Center (SHAR) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, was called off by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), due to a technical snag. The snag was reported just minutes before the much-awaited launch. In a tweet, ISRO said a revised date for the launch will be announced later. Here's more.
Let's first give you a brief idea about Chandrayaan-2
Chandrayaan [made from Chandra (Moon) and Yaan (Vehicle)], is India's first unmanned moon mission. The primary objective of the mission is to soft land the spacecraft on moon's surface. The scientific objectives include conducting experiments to study lunar topography, mineralogy, elemental abundance, the lunar exosphere. Looking for hydroxyl (a molecule which has abundant significance in the search for extraterrestrial life) is also on agenda.
Earlier, ISRO explained why studying the moon is important
According to ISRO, "The Moon provides us with the best linkage to Earth's early history and an undisturbed record of the nascent Solar System environment. While a few mature models do exist, the Moon's origin still needs further explanations."
So, how was Chandrayaan-2 supposed to start its journey?
The 3.8-tonne Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft comprises an orbiter, the lander, and the rover. The orbiter and lander modules were supposed to be stacked together in one module, inside the powerful GSLV MK-III launch vehicle. Nearly 16 minutes after its lift-off, Chandrayaan-2 was scheduled to be separated from the rocket and orbit the Earth several times, before it embarked on journey of 3.84 lakh km.
Interestingly, Chandrayaan-2's budget was less than several Hollywood movies
Undoubtedly, ISRO has put years of efforts into the Chandrayaan-2 mission. However, the mission was cheaper by the standards of other similar projects. The total cost of the mission was pegged at Rs. 978 crore ($142 million), lesser than what it cost to make Hollywood movies like Avengers: Endgame ($356 million) and Avatar ($478 million). Naturally, the mission piqued global interest.
As world looked towards India, the mission didn't take-off
Journalists from around the world gathered at Sriharikota to witness history in making, but unfortunately, the mission couldn't take off. President Ram Nath Kovind was also among the attendees. If India successfully completes this mission, it will be the fourth country to soft-land a spacecraft on the lunar space after US, Russia, and China. Notably, Israel's Beresheet crashlanded on moon earlier this year.
