Hours before Chandrayaan-2's 'Vikram' module's proposed soft landing on the Lunar surface, ISRO Chairman K Sivan said on Friday things are progressing as per plan for the much-awaited event.
"We are eagerly waiting for the event. Everything is going according to the plan," Sivan told PTI on Friday.
The touch-down of 'Vikram' lander is scheduled between 1.30 am and 2.30 am on Saturday, followed by the rollout of rover 'Pragyan' between 5.30 a.m and 6.30 a.m.
The soft landing will be telecast live from 1.10 a.m on Doordarshan, webcast on ISRO website and streamed on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
"Certainly there is lot of anxiety in the minds of the entire (Chandrayaan-2) team because it's a very complex operation and we are doing it for the first time," a senior official associated with the mission, said on condition of anonymity.
"Everything... sensors, computers, command systems... has to work perfectly. But we are confident in the sense we have conducted a large number of simulations on the ground; it gives us the confidence it would go alright," the official said.
He described the soft-landing as "almost like placing a baby on the cradle", and said, "there is certain amount of anxiety but there is no fear."
The spacecraft began its journey towards the moon leaving the earth's orbit in the dark hours on August 14, after a crucial manoeuvre called Trans Lunar Insertion that was carried out by ISRO to place the spacecraft on "Lunar Transfer Trajectory."
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content