India's Chandrayaan-2 moon mission to take off on July 22, Isro confirms

On July 15, less than an hour before its 2:51 am scheduled take-off, the launch of Chandrayaan-2 had to be postponed due to a snag in its most powerful rocket

Days after its scheduled take-off had to be postponed due to a technical glitch, India's second mission to the Moon — Chandrayaan-2 — is now confirmed to be launched on Monday (July 22). "Chandrayaan-2 launch, which was put off due to a technical snag on July 15, 2019, is now rescheduled for 2:43 pm IST on Monday, July 22, 2019," said an Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) official.

Chandrayaan-2 was originally scheduled to take off in the first week of January but was rescheduled for 2:50 am on July 15. It had to again be postponed after a snag was observed in its most powerful rocket, less than an hour before its launch from a spaceport. Isro scientists had put the launch on hold to assess the seriousness of the problem with the heavylift rocket GSLV Mk-III rocket carrying the satellite that put a halt to the ambitious Rs 976 crore lunar mission.

The lift-off of the three-component spacecraft weighing 3,850 kg and comprising an orbiter, the lander and the rover will take place from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, off the coast of Andhra Pradesh.

The satellite is supposed to explore the uncharted lunar south pole, 11 years after Isro's successful first lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, which made more than 3,400 orbits around the moon and was operational for 312 days till August 29, 2009.

It will take 54 days to accomplish the task of landing on the moon through meticulously planned orbital phases.