After Dark Side Of The Moon, India To Explore Moon’s South Pole Region

After the success of Chinese lunar mission, Chang’e 4, in reaching the far side of the Moon, India will be sending Chandrayaan-2 to the lunar south pole.

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will spearhead the launch set for between July 9 to July 16. Chandrayaan-2 will carry a rover, a lander and an orbiter and is expected to reach the lunar surface on Sept. 6.

ISRO will be sending Chandrayaan-2 off to space from Sriharikota, a barrier island located at the southeastern side of India.

The rover of Chandrayaan-2 is expected to travel 1,300 feet for 14 days to gather data and images of the Moon's surface. The information and photos obtained will then be sent to Earth through its lunar orbiter.

Chandrayaan-2 is the successor of ISRO-developed Chandrayaan-1, which was launched in October 2008. Chandrayaan-1 was the first Indian mission to the Moon and is best known for gathering evidence supporting research that water exists on the lunar surface.

If India’s second attempt to soft land on the moon is successful, it will be the first Moon lander to reach the lunar south pole region. The country will also make history as the fourth nation to successfully reach the Moon's surface after China, the former Soviet Union and the United States.

Chandrayaan-2 will follow the success of the first Asian lunar landing, Chang’e 4, which aims to investigate the geological and chemical differences between the near and far sides of the Moon. Chang’e 4 recently released high definition pictures of images of the far side of the Moon.

India’s lunar mission is not the second attempt for an Asian country to soft-land spacecraft on the lunar surface. Beresheet, a private lunar mission of Israel, almost landed before it crashed onto the Moon's surface, resulting in communications being cut off.