India may again attempt soft landing on Moon next November

After an unsuccessful bid two months ago, India may attempt another soft landing on the Moon by next year-end, probably in November, sources in the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said on Thursday (November 14).

The ISRO had constituted a high-level committee, headed by S Somanath, Director of Thiruvananthapuram-based Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, the lead centre responsible for all launch vehicle programmes of ISRO, to prepare a report on the proposed Chandrayaan-3.

“The panel’s report is awaited. The committee has been given a guideline to prepare the mission before the end of next year,” a senior ISRO official told PTI. “There is a good launch window in November.”

Also read: Chandrayaan 2: ISRO releases first illuminated image of Moon

“Rover, lander and landing operations will get more focus this time and whatever deficiencies in the Chandrayaan-2 mission will be corrected,” sources in the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency said.

On September 7, ISRO attempted a soft landing of Chandrayaan-2’s Vikram on the unchartered lunar south pole, before losing communication with the lander. A national-level committee consisting of academics and ISRO experts, headed by V Narayanan, Director of the space agency’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, has analysed the cause of communication loss with the lander.

The members of the panel included those from VSSC and U R Rao Satellite Centre. “This committee has pinpointed as to what went wrong. They have prepared a voluminous report and are believed to have submitted it to the Space Commission,” an ISRO official said.

“It’s expected to be put in the public domain after the approval of the PMO,” the official added.