NEW DELHI: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will try again for a safe landing on the moon, the space agency’s chairman K Sivan said here on Saturday. During an interactive session with the media at IIT Delhi’s 50th convocation, Sivan said, “We could not achieve a soft landing, but all the systems functioned until 300 m from the moon’s surface.
We have acquired valuable data to set things right next time. Let me assure you that ISRO will pull all its experience, knowledge and technical prowess to set things right and demonstrate soft landing in the near future.”
“We want to demonstrate the technology used to design and equip the Vikram Lander. We are working on a plan of action on how to go ahead with its landing,” he said, adding, “Chandrayaan-2 is not the end of story. Our plans on Aditya L1 solar mission, human spaceflight programme are on track. A large number of advance satellite launches are lined up to be launched in the coming months.”
The ISRO and Indian Institute of Technology have signed an MOU to set up a Space Technology Cell (STC) at the IIT’s campus in the city.
What was supposed to be India's first soft landing on the Moon, Chandrayaan-2 ended in failure when the robotic Vikram lander seemingly crashed into the lunar surface.
If it had been successful, India would have become the fourth country to land a spacecraft intact on the Moon.
Vikram was to land on the moon and deploy the six-wheeled rover Pragyaan.
Pragyaan, India's first rover on the Moon, would have explored the lunar surface for one lunar day (around 14 Earth days).
(With IANS inputs)