ISRO chief announces Chandrayaan-2 launch

Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) 'most complex mission' Chandrayaan-2 is scheduled to be launched  in January next year after experts suggested changes to avert failure, said chief of ISRO ,K Sivan.

"It is the most complex mission ISRO has ever taken. To ensure that it becomes a success in the first attempt they (experts) have suggested some changes," he said.

The window period to launch the mission starts on January 3, 2019 and ends on February 16, 2019.However, Sivan said the ISRO intends to launch the project by January next year.

He added, "The Mission will have an orbiter weighing 2,379 kilogram (kg), lander named Vikram weighing 1,471 kg and a rover weighing 27 kg". Sivan said, the lander will also land near the south pole, which has remained unexplored.

The ISRO also aims to launch 19 missions up to March 2019. These missions include launch of four satellites to accomplish the Digital India programme by providing higher bandwidth for connectivity.

(Featured image: Deccan Chronicle)