India's landmark mission Chandrayaan-2 takes off

India's landmark mission to the moon, Chandrayaan-2, successfully took off from Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, at 2:43 pm, on Monday, denoting the start of the country’s maiden journey toward the south pole of the moon.

It is the first occasion when that a spacecraft, indigenously created by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), set foot on the lunar soil - an accomplishment just achieved by three countries so far including US, Russia and China. The historic Chandrayaan-2 aims to explore the south pole of the moon - a part of moon which has not been mapped by some other country previously.

With it, the national space organization also succeeded with use of the narrow ‘launch window' of a couple of minutes which was accessible, after the initial launch was prematurely ended on July 15. The agency had cut down the time period for the module to remain in moon orbit, to compensate for the deferral of seven days and ensure that the day of landing does not get delayed by more than a one day.

And within the next 17 minutes of the launch from the space port in Sriharikota, the rocket would be infused to the Earth Parking Orbit (170 x 40,400 km). It would spin around the earth for a time of around 23 days, after which a progression of moves would be carried out to prepare it up for 'lunar catch'. The activity could take up to five days.

The mission will also serve as a critical key test for three-stage rocket, Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)- Mk-III which would be utilized for India's first human space mission Gaganyaan, scheduled for launch by 2022. The rocket vehicle armed with indigenous cryogenic engine is manufactured to convey 4 tonne class satellites.

The mission comes 11 years after the main mission to the moon in 2008, which gave the proof for nearness of water molecules on the moon. In the second mission, scientists aspire to advance those trials and explore the extent and distribution of water on the moon

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.