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ISRO Announces New Date For Launch of Chandrayaan-2 Mission

© REUTERS / P. RavikumarIndia's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-39, carrying IRNSS-1H navigation satellite, lifts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, August 31, 2017
India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-39, carrying IRNSS-1H navigation satellite, lifts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, August 31, 2017 - Sputnik International
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New Delhi (Sputnik): The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that the launch of Chandrayaan-2, which was called off due to a technical snag on 15 July, has now been rescheduled for 22 July at 2:43 p.m local time from the Second launch pad of SDSC in Sriharikota.

Chandrayaan-2's launch, scheduled on 15th July at 2:51 a.m. was called off due to a technical snag around one hour before launch. An expert committee was gathered to analyse the issue and suggest a fix.

"The expert committee identified the root cause of the technical snag and all corrective actions are implemented. Thereafter, the system performance is normal", ISRO added.

​Earlier, the local media, quoting officials at ISRO, reported that the snag was noticed when the cryogenic fuel was being loaded.

"The technical snag was noticed during the cryogenic fuel being loaded. We have to approach the vehicle to assess the problem. First, we have to empty the fuel loaded in the rocket, then the rocket will be taken back for further investigation", news agency IANS quoted a source as saying.

India's Chandrayaan-2 mission was to send an orbiter, lander, and rover to the lunar South Pole. The Chandrayaan-2 will be carrying 13 Indian payloads in addition to a “passive” experiment from the US’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) known as the Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA).

As for the payloads, eight will be held on the orbiter, three on the lander, and two on the rover.

The mission's primary objective is to demonstrate the agency’s ability to carry out a soft landing on the lunar surface and to operate a robotic rover there. ISRO officials have indicated that the mission will include studies of lunar topography, mineralogy, elemental abundance, the lunar exosphere and signatures of hydroxyl and water ice.

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