Reaching For The Moon

Launched In Vikram Sarabhai’s Birth Centenary Year, The Chandrayaan-2 Moon Mission Is Expected To Herald An Era Of Ambitious Space Projects For ISRO

- Rekha Dixit

Vikram is ready for a date with the moon. At Sriharikota, the lunar lander waits to fire off on July 15 on board the GSLV Mk-III, aka Bahubali, to its new home. The destination is an unexplored high plain between two craters, Manzinus C and Simpelius N, close to the southern tip of the moon. It is a sweet coincidence that this lander, named after the father of India’s space programme, Vikram Sarabhai, is making its journey on Sarabhai’s birth centenary year, and also in the golden jubilee year of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The predawn flight is expected to take off at 2:51am. Yet, the newly commissioned launch view gallery at the spaceport will be filled to capacity by those eager to see history unfurl. Chandrayaan-2, India’s second lunar probe, aims to make a soft landing on the moon on September 7. This is a challenging endeavour for any country; more than half the world’s 38 previous attempts have failed. Only earlier this year, Israel’s maiden lunar probe, Beresheet, lost all communication with its earth station, barely 10km from its destination. It crash-landed on the moon, ending its explorations. Only three countries have managed soft landings on the moon—USA, Soviet Union and China. No one has aimed for a destination so close to the South Pole, though China’s Chang-e 4 trailblazed with a southern hemisphere landing on the dark side of the moon earlier this year. India’s mission, therefore, is a bold one.