The Chandrayaan-2 has three modules Orbiter, Lander and Rover

All the experiment work on the Moon will be controlled by ISRO scientists from the Earth. Chandrayaan-1 was a grand success

BANGALORE: After launching mission Chandrayaan-1 in 2009, Indian Space Research Organisation has now geared up for Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2019.

ISRO on Wednesday has unveiled pictures of the modules of India's second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 that is scheduled to be launched between July 9 and 16 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, reported news agency ANI.

The Chandrayaan-2 has three modules Orbiter, Lander and Rover

According to ISRO, Lander was named as Vikram while Rover was called Pragyan. The Rover will function inside the Lander and it will be released after Lander lands on the lunar space.


However, the work of the Orbiter is to orbit the moon during mission and place a soft landing at a site. Post the landing, six-wheeled Pragyan will be deployed to carry out experiments on the Moon's surface.

All the experiment work on the Moon will be controlled by ISRO scientists from the Earth.


The Chandrayaan-1 mission had a lunar orbiter and an impactor but didn't include a rover. The spacecraft will carry 11 payloads, six from India, three from Europe, two from USA.

It will be India's second lunar mission after the grand success of Chandrayaan-1. ISRO has planned the mission as a tribute to pioneer of Indian space programme Vikram Sarabhai.

India's space agency plans to land a rover on the moon, a feat achieved by the former Soviet Union, USA and China. India hopes to join the elite club with the launch of the second mission. The rover will roll out for carrying out scientific experiments.

The Moon landing is expected in September, ISRO had said earlier. Chandrayaan-2 will have 13 payloads including one passive experiment from American space agency NASA.

ISRO chairman K Sivan had said earlier that the rover would land at a place "where nobody else has gone - the Moon's South Pole", the second lunar mission would look for "specific minerals on the surface of the Moon".

Chandrayaan-2 mission is an advanced version of the previous Chandrayaan-1 mission about 10 years ago. Chandrayaan-1 had eleven payloads- five from India, three from Europe, two from USA and one from Bulgaria, and the mission had the credit for the discovery of water on the lunar surface.

Chandrayaan-2 launch comes ten years after ISRO launched its first lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, in 2009. The mission included a lunar orbiter and an impactor but didn't include a rover like Chandrayaan-2.

The mission which costs nearly Rs 800 crore will launched on board GSLV MK-III which is an indigenous mission, comprising an orbiter, lander and rover.

The scientists will carry out experiments on the lunar surface to find out water and special minerals. Also, the GSLV-MKIII rocket will carry all three modules weighing 3.8 tons.

ISRO