India is expected to launch their second lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2 on July 14. The launch will take up an orbiter, a lander, and a rover, dubbed Pragyan, all designed to study the moon’s little explored south pole.
Using the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) most powerful rocket, Chandrayaan-2 will reach Earth’s orbit, where it’ll spend about 16 days before it heads over to the moon.
After a short time in lunar orbit, the lander and the rover will attempt to touch down on the moon’s surface around September 6 or 7, if all goes as planned.
For about 14 days, the rover will explore this rarely studied lunar area, collecting samples and performing experiments. Meanwhile, Chandrayaan-2’s orbiter is expected to remain operational for about a year, sending back information about the moon to ISRO.
The new data should help offer insights into moon’s origin, as well as Earth’s own history. ...
