INDIA ANNOUNCES JULY LAUNCH WINDOW FOR LUNAR MISSION

Hey Space Placers!

India's Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has announced the July launch window for its next mission to the Moon - Chandrayaan-2 - which will include an orbiter and India’s first soft lander and rover.

An artist’s rendition of the Vikram lander on the lunar surface. (Image credit: ISRO

The mission is scheduled to launch on July 15 at 2:51 a.m. India Standard Time which is July 14, 5:21 p.m. EDT. This is just two days before Apollo 11 launched.

Touchdown is scheduled for September 6 at -71 S latitude making this the farthest south lander ever.

If successful India will become the fourth country to soft land on the Moon - US, USSR, China have done so so far.

The landing area is also where Russia plans to land Luna 24 at some point in the future.

The Moon beckons.....

Sky Guy in VA