'Chandrayaan-2' to land on moon in 2017; Solar Mission in 2018
16 Dec 2015
`Chandrayaan-2', India's second lunar probe, will land on the surface of moon in 2017 and, among other things, it will explore the possibilities of extra-terrestrial life there.
India will also launch a landmark Solar Mission `Aditya-L1' in 2019, Jitendra Singh, minister of state for development of North East and minister of state for PMO, personnel, public grievances, pensions, atomic energy and space, stated in the Lok Sabha today.
The Aditya L1 mission ''is aimed at studying the sun from an orbit around the sun-earth lagrangian point (L-1) which is about 1.5 million km from earth. It will carry seven payloads including a coronagraph to observe the outermost layers of the sun, the corona. Aditya L1 will be launched during 2019-20 timeframe,'' he said in his written response.
The minister congratulated the Indian Space research Organisation (Isro) for its glorious achievements during the last one year. He also informed the House about the successful launch of six Singapore satellites from Sriharikota to mark the Golden Jubilee of the independence of the Republic of Singapore.
He further informed that this launch was agreed upon on commercial basis and the government of Singapore has paid 26 million euros for it.
He said the past one year has been a year of glory for Isro and India, not only because it placed India as a frontline nation in the field of space technology, but also because India's space programme emerged as true example of the prime minister's `Make in India' mission.
He said the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) series of seven satellites, when completed by March 2016, will offer navigation inputs to all the neighbouring countries of South Asia.
The minister said a budget of Rs. 1420 crore has been approved by the government for realisation of Indian Regional Navigation Satellite (IRNSS) programme, including satellites and associated ground segment.
Similarly, the images sent from the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) are now being shared by even the most developed countries of the world, he added.
Jitendra Singh said India has now firmly established as an important player in the space market, adding that till now, India had earned $17.17 million and 17.98 million euros from the launch of foreign satellites and orders worth $4.5 million and $64 million euros, respectively for future launching of foreign satellites.
President Pranab Mukherjee congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation for the successful launch of PSLV-C29.
In a message to AS Kiran Kumar, chairman of ISRO, the President said, ''I extend my hearty congratulations to you and your entire team at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the successful launch of PSLV-C29.
''Kindly convey my greetings to the members of your team of scientists, engineers, technologists and all others associated with this great mission. I wish the ISRO continued success in the coming years.''
