Chandrayaan-II on schedule for 2013 launch: ISRO

Tiruchi: India's follow-on lunar mission, Chandrayan-II, will take place in the first quarter of 2013 as per schedule, according to project director Mylaswamy Annadurai. The project is an Indian Space Research Organization joint venture with Russia.

Crater Damoieasu. Image Chandrayaan-I Hysi Camera

Speaking here on Sunday, Annadurai said the project was shaping up as per schedule. He was also project director of the highly successful maiden lunar mission, Chandrayaan-I.  

Chandrayaan-II is a four-year project that is being undertaken in collaboration with Russia.

Annaduari said the designs for the mission's rover and orbiter had been finalized and the fabrication would begin shortly.

Like its predecessor, Chandrayaan-II, is also an unmanned mission, with the difference that this mission will land a rover on the lunar surface that will transmit data to an orbiter. The mission will attempt chemical, mineralogical and photo-geologic mapping of the moon which will also confirm Chandrayaan-I's findings.

Unlike the first lunar mission, Chandrayaan-II will carry lesser payloads. It will also investigate the presence of water.