India’s second lunar probe, Chandrayaan-2, launch has been called off. It was originally scheduled from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, today at 2.51 am IST. 56 minutes and 24 seconds before its official take off, a technical snag was reported, aborting the launch.
At around 3 am, today, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) took to twitter and announced that the official launch has been called off and a revised date will be announced later. Ravi Gupta, former Director of Public Interface of Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), told, ‘It was the right decision to call off Chandrayaan-2 launch. We could not have taken any chance in such a big mission’.
A technical snag was observed in launch vehicle system at 1 hour before the launch. As a measure of abundant precaution, #Chandrayaan2 launch has been called off for today. Revised launch date will be announced later.
— ISRO (@isro) July 14, 2019
Earlier, ISRO had announced on their twitter handle about the live telecast of the launch on DD National and their own website.
1 hour to go ! #Chandrayaan2 #GSLVMkIII #ISRO
Watch the live telecast from 2:30 AM IST on our website https://t.co/7JSCOfe36a and on DD National.
Live streaming also available on:
Youtube: https://t.co/HCTiN8N3My, Facebook: https://t.co/CRR2We62Bn— ISRO (@isro) July 14, 2019
Chandrayaan-2 is India’s second unmanned mission to the moon. It includes an orbiter, lander and rover, all developed indigenously by ISRO. The main objective is to map the location and abundance of lunar water. The mission is to be launched by Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mark III).
A successful landing would make India the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the moon, after the space agencies of the USSR, USA and China.
President Ram Nath Kovind, was also present at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota to witness the launch.
