Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Dr Sivan told media: "On 14 August early morning, around 3:30, we are going to have a manoeuvre called a trans-lunar injection, through this manoeuvre, Chandrayaan-2 will leave earth and move towards the moon."
Dr Sivan was in the Indian city of Ahmedabad, to attend the birth centenary celebrations of Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the founder of India's space programme.
The ISRO chief further revealed since the launch of the Chandrayaan-2 on 22 July, the three-module spacecraft successfully completed five manoeuvres and was currently moving around Earth.
He said once the spacecraft reaches the moon on 20 August, a lunar orbit insertion will be carried out. "Subsequently, we have planned to have a series of manoeuvres around the moon, and finally on 7 September, we will be landing on the moon near its south pole."
Stating all Chandrayaan-2 systems were functioning properly, Dr Sivan said the space agency would take up a mission to launch small satellites in the coming months.
In December, India will launch a small satellite launcher for the first time, the ISRO chief added.
The Chandrayaan-2 mission to the moon blasted into space on 22 July one week after a technical glitch forced ISRO scientists to halt its scheduled launch.
The lunar mission spacecraft took off at 2.43 p.m. Indian Standard Time from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre located in coastal Sriharikota Island in India's Andhra Pradesh state.
On 15 July, ISRO scientists had to abort the uncrewed mission 56 minutes before takeoff. They later found a leak while filling the rocket's cryogenic engine with helium.
Source: Sputnik News
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