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Updated: Jun 26, 2020 20:48 IST

Around 60 students from across the country are just hours away from an experience of a life time when they will watch India take giant leaps in space science and technology with the historic landing of Chandrayaan’s lander Vikram near the moon’s Southern pole in company of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Bengaluru headquarters early Saturday morning

Delhi boy Manogya Singh Suyansh, Odisha’s Chinmaya Chaudhury, Meghalaya’s Ribait Phawa, Andhra Pradesh’s Pragada Kanchana Balasri Vasavi, Lucknow’s Rashi Verma are among the 60 students selected in an August online quiz conducted by the ISRO for students of Class 8 to 10.

Chandrayaan 2, a three-module spacecraft comprising an orbiter, lander and rover, which was launched on July 22, is predicted to land on the moon at 1:43 am on Saturday and the students will watch it live along with ISRO’s scientists running the mission.

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Manogya Singh Suyansh, a Class 9 student of Kendriya Vidyalaya Delhi Cantt, said he aims to be an astronaut and was excited to see ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru.

“I have been fascinated about space since Class 3 when I had once made model of the nine planets as part of the holiday homework. Since then I developed an interest and have read books on the same,” Suyansh told PTI.

He said the questions in the quiz were not very difficult but the time taken to answer them was the deciding factor.

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Ribait Phawa from Ramakrishna Mission School in Meghalaya and Rashi Verma from Delhi Public School in Lucknow, were not only ecstatic to witness the landing of Chandrayaan 2 but also to meet the prime minister in person.

“I have dreamt of meeting him ever since he took over as the prime minister first time. I was in Class 5 then. I am glad I will get to watch this historic event and that too with PM Modi,” Verma said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 28 had urged students to take part in this quiz in order to motivate the next generation to develop interest in space science.

The lunar landing will be a big milestone for India’s space agency as this will be the first time any mission from the country will touch the surface of a celestial body. A successful landing will also make India the fourth country in the world to have landed on the moon after the USA, erstwhile USSR, and China.

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The landing is also important for the larger scientific community as India has chosen to land near the lunar South Pole. There are craters in this area that have not seen sunlight for billions of years. These craters are expected to contain about 100 million tons of water. The cold traps found in the region also have the origins of the solar system well-preserved.

‘Vikram’ with rover ‘Pragyaan’ housed inside, is scheduled for a powered-descent between 1 am and 2 am on September 7, followed by its touchdown between 1.30 am and 2.30 am.

The lander is now in an orbit that would be about 35 km from the lunar surface at its nearest point from where it will begin its final descent.

ISRO has said Chandrayaan-2 will attempt to soft land the lander and rover in a high plain between two craters, Manzinus C and Simpelius N, at a latitude of about 70 south, reported PTI.

ISRO Chairman K Sivan said the proposed soft landing on the Moon was going to be a “terrifying” moment as the ISRO has not done it before.

Following the landing, the rover ‘Pragyaan’ will roll out from ‘Vikram’ between 5.30 am and 6.30 am.

While, the ‘Pragyaan’ will carry out experiments on the lunar surface for a period of one lunar day, which is equal to 14 earth days, the main orbiter will continue its mission for a year.

The lander and rover carry country’s symbols on them, which will remain on the moon for long.

The Rs 978 crore unmanned moon mission will explore the surface area on lunar South Pole that remains in shadow for a long period increasing the possibility of the presence of water in permanently shadowed areas around it.

Chandrayaan-2 satellite began its journey towards the moon leaving the earth’s orbit in the dark hours on August 14, after a crucial manoeuvre called Trans Lunar Insertion (TLI) that was carried out by ISRO to place the spacecraft on “Lunar Transfer Trajectory”.