Big day for moon mission, Chandrayaan 2 moves into lunar orbit on Tuesday

The Indian Space Research Organisation on Monday said it will fire India’s second mission to the moon Chandrayaan-2’s liquid engine on Tuesday to put the spacecraft in an orbit around the moon, PTI reported.

“It’s tomorrow morning [tentatively between 8.30 am and 9.30 am],” ISRO chairman K Sivan told the news agency. “It’s challenging,” he added.

ISRO said this operation will be followed by four orbit manoeuvres to make the spacecraft enter into its final orbit passing over the lunar poles, at a distance of about 100 km from moon’s surface. The lander, called Vikram, will separate from the orbiter on September 2, the agency added.