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July 18, 2019
The second Indian lunar mission had to be postponed a few days ago because of a technical problem.
GSLV MkIII-M1 / Chandryaan 2 vehicle night view at the Second Launch Pad
The launch of the ambitious Indian lunar mission, canceled at the last minute earlier this week, is now scheduled for Monday afternoon, said Thursday the Indian space agency ISRO.
"The launch of Chandrayaan-2, which was canceled due to a technical problem on July 15, 2019, is now rescheduled for 14H43 (09H13 GMT, ed) on Monday, July 22, 2019," tweeted the ISRO.
The space agency has not formally detailed this "technical problem" but, according to the local press, it was a leak in a helium cylinder of the cryogenic engine of the upper stage of the Indian rocket GSLV- MkIII, the most powerful Indian thrower.
Countdown stopped
"The expert committee has identified the source of the technical problem and all corrective actions are implemented. After that, the system's performance is normal, "said ISRO.
On the night of Sunday to Monday, the scientists canceled the launch by stopping the countdown 56 minutes and 24 seconds before the scheduled takeoff from the firing point of Sriharikota, in the south-east of the country.
With Chandrayaan-2, its second lunar mission, India hopes to become the fourth nation to land a plane on the Moon, some 384,000 kilometers from Earth.
The expedition aims to land a lander and a mobile robot near the south pole of the natural satellite, especially for the purpose of seeking water.
"Lunar trolley"
New Delhi spent 140 million dollars (124 million euros) - a much lower amount than other major space agencies for missions like this - at Chandrayaan-2 ("Lunar Trolley" in Hindi). The mission consists of an orbiter, a lander and a rover, for a total weight of 3.8 tonnes.
This Indian mission is part of a renewed international interest for the Moon. The man, who strode for the last time in 1972, is preparing for his return. The US government has asked NASA to send astronauts back for 2024.
The return to the Moon is seen as an essential step in the preparation of manned flights to more distant destinations, in the foreground of which the planet Mars.
India had placed a probe in orbit around the moon during the Chandrayaan-1 mission eleven years ago.
Related article:
Moon mission for an Indian probe
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2019/07/moon-mission-for-indian-probe.html
For more informations about ISRO and Chandrayaan-2 mission, visit:
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO): https://www.isro.gov.in/
Chandrayaan-2 mission: https://www.isro.gov.in/chandrayaan2-home-0
Images, Text, Credits: AFP/ISRO/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.
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