ISRO to start Chandrayaan-3 voyage in Nov 2020: Report

Soon after Chandrayaan-2 revealed pictures of the lunar surface on Wednesday, the Indian Space Research Centre (ISRO) announced plans for their third Chandrayaan venture, according to a report by The Times of India.

Work on Chandrayaan-3, a sample mission expected to collect lunar samples, will commence during November 2020. Since Chandrayaan-2's Orbiter is intact and functioning, the new mission will only send a lander and a rover. Japan's Space Agency Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will possibly provide the launch vehicle and the rover for the mission.

Several committees have been formed by ISRO which have already held meetings in October. It is likely that it will take a minimum of three years to prepare the project.

ISRO is reportedly trying to lessen its maneuvers to ensure the spacecraft takes less time to land on the lunar surface. According to the report, scientists will work on "strengthening the legs of the lander" to facilitate landing despite high velocity.

"It is essential to carry out detailed analysis on the changes for improving the lander system considering the recommendations of both the expert committee (formed to look into Chandrayaan-2) and the recommendations which could not be implemented due to advanced stage of Chandrayaan-2 flight preparation," a source told the paper.