Efforts will go on to contact Chandrayaan 2 lander for 14 days: ISRO chairman
Bengaluru: India's hope to reach the moon is not over yet as Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman K Sivan said the efforts to contact Chandrayaan 2 lander will continue for the next 14 days, media reports said.
Sivan has blamed the faulty execution in the last stage of the operation.
While India waited with bated breath to watch live the landing of Chandrayaan 2 on lunar surface, disappointment greeted them in the wee hours of Saturday when ISRO Chairman after tense moments said they have lost communication with Lander Vikram at the last stage (2.1 km above the Moon's surface). It cannot be said if the mission is a complete failure at this stage as ISRO scientists hope for a miracle.
"VikramLander descent was as planned and normal performance was observed up to an altitude of 2.1 km. Subsequently, communication from Lander to the ground stations was lost. Data is being analyzed," said a rather grim-faced Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chief K Sivan.
Cheering up, Prime Minister Narendra Modi present at the control room told the scientists: "I am with you." "Country is proud of you. Congratulations from my side. You have done a great service to the country and to humankind. Your efforts will go on and I am completely with you," said the PM.
India was expecting to script a space history by becoming the first nation to reach closest to the Moon's south pole.
The Chandrayaan 2 soft landing on the lunar surface was to occur at 1:55 am on Saturday.
The moon lander Vikram, which separated from its orbiting mothership, earlier performed two manoeuvres.
(Image Credit: UNI)
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