NEW DELHI — India’s space organization is examining the technical snag that led to the aborting of the launch Monday of a spacecraft intended to land on the far side of the moon, an official says.
The Chandrayaan-2 mission was called off shortly before liftoff early Monday by the Indian Space Research Organization when a “technical snag” was observed in the 640-ton, 14-story rocket launcher.
Vivek Singh, the ISRO’s media director, says the organization should be able to choose a new launch date within days. He declines to go into details.
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)’s Geosynchronous Satellite launch Vehicle (GSLV) MkIII carrying Chandrayaan-2 stands at Satish Dhawan Space Center after the mission was aborted at the last minute at Sriharikota, in southern India, July 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Chandrayaan, the Sanskrit word for “moon craft,” is designed for a soft landing on the lunar south pole and to send a rover to explore water deposits confirmed by a previous orbiting Indian space mission.
If India manages the soft landing, it would be only the fourth country to do so after the US, Russia and China. Israel’s attempt in April failed when the lander’s braking system failed to work in time to slow the lander down and prevent a crash.
An Indian spectator folds a flag as others leave after the Chandrayaan-2 mission was aborted at Sriharikota, in southern India, July 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
— AP and Times of Israel staff
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Monday, July 15, 2019
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