<p>The final countdown for India's ambitious Rs.430-crore Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) will begin Sunday morning, while the full launch rehearsal will be on Thursday, a top official of the Indian space agency said Wednesday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"The countdown for the Mars Orbiter Mission will begin Sunday at 6.08 a.m," K. Radhakrishnan, chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), told reporters.<br />The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C25) rocket carrying the MOM will blast off at 2.38 p.m Nov 5 from here around 80 km from Chennai.<br /><br />The launch rehearsal of the rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C25) will begin Thursday and last over eight hours.<br /><br />According to PSLV-C25 mission director P. Kunhikrishnan, during the launch rehearsal, except for pressing the ignition button, every other activity related to the rocket launch will be carried out.<br /><br />Radhakrishnan reiterated that India is not in the space race with any other nation.<br />Queried about India's second mission to the moon, he said the space agency is awaiting funds clearance from the government to develop a lander, and a rover is being developed.<br /><br />The moon lander might be ready and qualified by 2016, he said. He said the moon mission will be on India's heavier rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).<br /><br />After two successful GSLV missions, ISRO will be confident of going ahead with the moon mission on its heavier rocket, Radhakrishnan said.<br /><br />Radhakrishnan said ISRO would fly GSLV rockets prior to the moon mission. According to him, the next GSLV mission with GSAT-14 satellite is slated for this December.<br /><br />In July, ISRO called off its GSLV mission prior to the launch, due to some fuel leakage. The notable aspect of the mission is that the rocket is fitted with an ISRO-developed cryogenic engine.</p>
<p>The final countdown for India's ambitious Rs.430-crore Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) will begin Sunday morning, while the full launch rehearsal will be on Thursday, a top official of the Indian space agency said Wednesday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"The countdown for the Mars Orbiter Mission will begin Sunday at 6.08 a.m," K. Radhakrishnan, chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), told reporters.<br />The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C25) rocket carrying the MOM will blast off at 2.38 p.m Nov 5 from here around 80 km from Chennai.<br /><br />The launch rehearsal of the rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C25) will begin Thursday and last over eight hours.<br /><br />According to PSLV-C25 mission director P. Kunhikrishnan, during the launch rehearsal, except for pressing the ignition button, every other activity related to the rocket launch will be carried out.<br /><br />Radhakrishnan reiterated that India is not in the space race with any other nation.<br />Queried about India's second mission to the moon, he said the space agency is awaiting funds clearance from the government to develop a lander, and a rover is being developed.<br /><br />The moon lander might be ready and qualified by 2016, he said. He said the moon mission will be on India's heavier rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).<br /><br />After two successful GSLV missions, ISRO will be confident of going ahead with the moon mission on its heavier rocket, Radhakrishnan said.<br /><br />Radhakrishnan said ISRO would fly GSLV rockets prior to the moon mission. According to him, the next GSLV mission with GSAT-14 satellite is slated for this December.<br /><br />In July, ISRO called off its GSLV mission prior to the launch, due to some fuel leakage. The notable aspect of the mission is that the rocket is fitted with an ISRO-developed cryogenic engine.</p>