INDIA'S SECOND MOON MISSION ON ITS WAY

Hey Space Placers!

India successfully launched its second mission to the Moon, Chandrayaan-2, early this morning, July 22nd.

The mission is headed to the lunar South Pole and consists of an orbiter, lander and rover. It will take about 4 weeks to get to the Moon.

This will be India's first attempt to land on the Moon which has been accomplished by the US, USSR and China.

It will be the first mission to the lunar South Pole region.

Currently the US has Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) active in lunar orbit since 2009 and China currently has Chang'e 4 and rover Yutu 2 active on the far side of the Moon.

China plans for a launch of Chang'e 5, a lunar sample return mission perhaps late this year.

The US may have unmanned missions to the Moon using commercial landers later next year.

Further exploration of the Moon is well underway with perhaps the best to come in the near future if the US Congress gives NASA the funding to land astronauts by 2024. Funding will be the key to whether this happens as stated or is Moon-pie in the sky.

Sky Guy in VA