Chandrayaan-2 to be launched in Jan 2019

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Sivan addressing press conference after successfully launch of PSLV-C42, carrying two foreign satellites, NovaSAR and S1-4, lifts off from first launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (PTI Photo)

ISRO chief Dr K Sivan on Sunday night said that Chandrayaan-2, India's second moon mission, will be launched on January 3, 2019.

The launch will happen more than ten years after Chandrayaan-1, the country's first moon mission, was successfuly launched from Sriharikota.

The second lunar mission was scheduled to be launched in 2018 but the Isro kept postponing the launch due to various reasons.

"Chandrayaan-2 will be launched from Sriharikota on January 3, 2019," Dr K Sivan told reporters after the successful launch of PSLV-C42 at Sriharikota.

"The Isro's workload is very heavy and within next six months, we will have 18 missions, 10 satellite and 8 launch vehicles. Load on us is very huge and we have been meeting expectations of the nation," Dr Sivan said at the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre.

Sivan also said that the first completely industry-built PSLV will be made in the next few months.

"The night mission was mainly for ascending mode for day missions. The latest mission really proves the prowess of PSLV as user friendly vehicle in all aspects. Our effort is to give a push to industry for production of end-to-end systems. You will soon be hearing the news on the country's first completely industry-built PSLV,” he said.

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