Chennai: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) today announced that the deferred second lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2, will now take place on 22 July.
ISRO in a statement said the GSLV-Mk-III, carrying the 3,850 kg Chandrayan-2 would lift off from Second Launch Pad at 14.43 hrs on 22 July from SHAR Range, Sriharikota.
It said, “Chandrayaan-2 launch scheduled on July 15 at 0251 hrs was called off due to a technical snag noticed at around one hour before launch.”
“An expert committee was constituted to analyze the issue and suggest remedial action. 
The expert committee identified the root cause of the technical snag and all corrective actions are implemented. Thereafter, the system performance is normal,” it added.
Scientists at India’s space agency have been assessing the seriousness of the problem that put a halt to the ambitious Rs 976 crore lunar mission. Chandrayaan 2 mission is to be launched onboard heavy-lift rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle – Mark III (GSLV Mk III), nicknamed as ‘Bahubali’.
Chandrayaan 2, the most ambitious lunar mission of the country, will explore the parts of Moon which have never been explored in the past – the south polar region. According to eminent space scientists, Chandrayaan 2 is a mission which has been described as one of the most complex ever undertaken by ISRO.
The main objective of the latest Moon mission is to carry out various experiments to understand the extent and significance of the presence of water on the celestial body as confirmed by the Chandrayaan 1 mission. This is also for the first time that India is trying to land a robotic rover on Moon.
According to ISRO Chairman Kailasavadivoo Sivan, the landing site, at a latitude of about 70 degrees south, is the southernmost for any mission till date. The spacecraft consists of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover together referred to as ‘composite body.’
It will be the first Indian expedition to attempt a soft landing on the lunar surface. This mission will make India the fourth country after the US, Russia, and China to carry out a soft landing on Moon.