New Delhi / ISRO to attempt new soft landing on Moon in near future: ISRO Chief

New Delhi: Chandrayaan-2 is not the end of India’s attempts to conquer the moon and the country’s space agency will demonstrate a successful soft landing in the near future, said Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) chief Dr K Sivan.

The noted aerospace scientist was in the national capital as the chief guest at the 50th Convocation of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi.

"We have to demonstrate the technology (soft landing). We are working out the plan, but haven't finalized when," said Dr Sivan responding to a query regarding the proposed second landing.

Sivan said ISRO was putting its best efforts to process valuable data from Chandrayaan-2's Orbiter which continues to revolve around the moon.

Chandrayaan-2, India's second mission to the moon was launched on July 22, but failed to manage a soft landing on the moon, which would have been the country’s first.

While the Orbiter continues to revolve around the moon, Lander Vikram and Rover Pragyan were rendered non-functional after a hard-landing on the lunar surface on 7 September.

"On technology side, we could not succeed in completing a soft landing, but all systems of the mission, functioned well till about 300 metres from the moon surface. Despite failures, ISRO has the desire to succeed. Chandrayaan-2 is not the end of story," said the ISRO Chief.

Highlighting ISRO’s future projects, Sivan said scientists were working on some advanced satellite missions. "Our projects on solar mission and historic human spaceflight mission are on track. The Small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV) is ready to make its maiden flight early next year," he said.

The space agency is also working on connecting Navik Signals to cellphones to develop several related applications needs. The testing of 200 tonne semi-cryogenic engine, to power ISRO's Reusable Launch Vehicle, is also expected to begin soon.

Urging students to take risks, he said, though ISRO faced failures while developing its own launch vehicles, it has managed to reach Mars and the Moon.

"Certain space programmes in 1960s were crazy ideas but Vikram Sarabhai saw India's potential. When the whole world was using space technology for military domination, Sarabhai thought that for a country like India, this technology is only suitable for fast-tracking development," said the noted scientist.

ISRO signed a Member of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Delhi to set up ISRO Space Technology Cell at the campus and work on focussed research projects in space technology. A commemorative stamp was also launched to mark the occasion.