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Chandrayaan-2 to be launched at 2.43 pm on July 22 now, announces ISRO

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7 years ago

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Chandrayaan-2 to be launched at 2.43 pm on July 22 now, announces ISRO

Days after Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) called off its moon mission due to a technical snag, the space agency today (Thursday, July 18) announced that they will proceed with the Chandrayaan-2 launch on July 22 at 2.43 pm, just a week later than the previous date.

“Chandrayaan-2 launch, which was called off due to a technical snag on July 15, 2019, is now rescheduled at 2:43 pm IST on Monday, July 22, 2019,” ISRO tweeted.

The new launch date was finalised late on Wednesday, reported The Times of India (TOI) quoting a source.

On July 15, ISRO’s ambitious mission to land a spacecraft on the moon was called off less than an hour before the launch. A technical snag was detected in the GSLV-MkIII rocket, ISRO’s most powerful rocket built to carry heavier payloads. The snag has since been rectified, reports said.

“The expert committee identified the root cause of the technical snag and all corrective actions are implemented,” ISRO said, without elaborating on what the “root cause” was.

According to source-based news media reports, the problem was detected in the upper stage of the rocket carrying the cryogenic engine where liquid hydrogen fuel had been filled less than half an hour earlier.

Chandrayaan-2 is India’s second Moon mission, after Chandrayaan-1, but is significantly more ambitious as it involves soft-landing a lander – Vikram, named after the father of India’s space programme Vikram Sarabhai – and operating a robotic rover (Pragyan) on the lunar surface, while an Orbiter goes circles Moon in a 100km X 100km orbit.

The lander and rover are slated to land on the Moon on September 6. The ISRO has chosen an unexplored site at the lunar south pole where no country has been before.

If India manages to successfully land Vikram on Moon, it will only be the fourth nation after the erstwhile USSR (now Russia), US and China to do so.

While ISRO has a host of objectives for Chandrayaan-2, including its hopes of unraveling some secrets about the evolution of the solar system, the most critical will be to re-confirm the presence of water on Moon, and to try and map its presence.

This is also the first operational or working flight for the GSLV-MkIII rocket, which has flown well only twice before.

Chandrayaan-2 was originally scheduled to be launched as early as in 2010 or 2011, immediately after the 2008 Chandrayaan-1 mission. But at that time, it was supposed to be a joint India-Russia mission, with Russia contributing the lander and rover, while ISRO was to provide the launcher and the Orbiter.

Also Read: Chandrayan-2 moon-landing mission called off due to technical snag

The planned mission could not take off because of design flaws detected in the Russian lander and rover. The Russians eventually pulled out of the collaboration, leaving ISRO to build its own lander and rover. That took time, and the mission was finally ready by 2017.

The mission was initially slated to be launched last year,but was postponed thrice.

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PM Modi hails ISRO after successful GSLV-F17 launch, calls it proud moment

PM Modi congratulated ISRO after GSLV-F17 successfully launched EOS-05, calling the achievement a proud moment for India.

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2 days ago

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September 4, 2026

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) after the successful launch of the GSLV-F17 rocket carrying the EOS-05 Earth observation satellite, describing the achievement as a proud moment for the nation.

The GSLV-F17 lifted off at 2:55 a.m. IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The EOS-05 satellite was subsequently placed into its designated sub-geosynchronous transfer orbit.

PM Modi praises ISRO’s growing capabilities

In a post on X, PM Modi said the successful mission reflected the excellence, innovation and expanding capabilities of India’s space sector.

He also highlighted the growing partnership between ISRO and Indian industry, saying it was strengthening India’s space programme and expanding capabilities across the wider space ecosystem.

The prime minister described the successful launch of GSLV-F17 carrying EOS-05 as another outstanding achievement by ISRO and a matter of national pride.

EOS-05 strengthens earth observation capabilities

According to the report, EOS-05 is India’s first-ever imaging satellite from geosynchronous orbit. The satellite is designed to provide continuous observation of the country from an altitude of nearly 36,000 km above Earth.

The mission is expected to strengthen India’s earth observation capabilities and support advanced imaging and observation applications.

ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan expressed satisfaction with the mission, saying the satellite was precisely injected into its intended orbit.

Mission Director Thomas Kurian described the launch as a significant milestone for the GSLV programme. He said it was the 19th flight of the GSLV and noted that EOS-05 is the heaviest satellite the launch vehicle has placed into a geosynchronous transfer orbit or sub-GTO orbit.

GSLV-F17 launch vehicle details

The GSLV-F17 stands 51.7 metres tall and has an approximate liftoff mass of 420.5 tonnes.

Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh also congratulated the ISRO team following the successful mission. He described EOS-05 as a state-of-the-art Earth observation satellite capable of advanced imaging across visible, infrared, multispectral and hyperspectral bands.

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Latest Science News

Indian-origin astronaut Anil Menon begins first mission to International Space Station

Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon has launched aboard Soyuz MS-29 on his first mission to the International Space Station, where he is expected to spend around eight months conducting research.

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2 months ago

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July 14, 2026

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Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon has embarked on his first journey into space after successfully launching aboard Russia’s Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS).

The mission lifted off from the historic Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 8:17 PM on Tuesday. Menon was accompanied by Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina as the three-member crew began their expedition to the orbiting laboratory.

Crew to spend about eight months aboard ISS

The Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft is expected to dock with the International Space Station a little over three hours after launch. Once aboard the ISS, the crew will carry out a range of scientific research and technology demonstration projects during their mission.

The expedition is scheduled to last approximately eight months, with the crew expected to return to Earth in 2027 after completing their planned activities in orbit.

Menon’s maiden spaceflight marks a significant milestone in his astronaut career as he joins the International Space Station crew for long-duration research and operational work.

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Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to meet PM Modi after return from historic space mission

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who recently returned from the ISS as part of the Axiom-4 mission, will meet PM Modi this evening. Parliament will also hold a special discussion on his historic journey.

Published

1 year ago

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August 18, 2025

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Subhanshu shukla

Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS), will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi this evening at his official residence in New Delhi.

PM Modi to host meeting with astronaut

According to officials, the meeting at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg is expected to take place between 5 pm and 5:30 pm. Shukla, who arrived in India on Sunday, will also be part of the National Space Day celebrations scheduled for August 23.

Warm welcome in India

The astronaut was greeted at the airport by his family, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and hundreds of citizens waving the national flag. Shukla had been in the United States for a year, preparing for the Axiom-4 mission, which launched from Florida on June 25 and docked at the ISS the next day. He served as the mission’s pilot.

Emotional note from Shukla

Before his return, Shukla shared an emotional post on Instagram, expressing mixed feelings of leaving his space colleagues while being eager to meet his loved ones and people of India. He also quoted a song from the film Swades, which he had chosen as his anthem on the launch day.

Parliament session on India’s space journey

In honour of Shukla’s mission, the Lok Sabha is holding a special session today to discuss “India’s first astronaut aboard the ISS – critical role of space programme for Viksit Bharat by 2047.” Union minister Kiren Rijiju said the discussion would highlight the importance of India’s space achievements and future goals.

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