BENGALURU: After calling off the launch of Chandrayaan-2 on Monday due to a technical snag, the Indian Space Research Organisation ( Isro ) is now actively looking at a window as early as July 21 or 22 for another attempt, multiple sources told TOI on Wednesday.

Isro’s confidence can be attributed to the assurance given by the technical teams working at the Sriharikota launch pad, who said on Wednesday they are “confident of rectifying the snag” in the next 48 hours.

The space agency is keen on the July 21-22 window because these are the earliest dates on which it will get a chance to navigate the lunar craft to the Moon ’s orbit. After this, the next possible window will open up only in September.

Sources privy to the ongoing rectification/repair process — engineers are working on plugging a faulty “nipple joint” — told TOI the space agency is “positively” looking at availing a window by Monday (July 22). “In all likelihood, that will be the new launch date,” a source revealed.

While Isro is yet to officially make an announcement, Vivek Singh, director (media and public relations), Isro, said: “Keep checking our website.”

TOI was the first to report on July 15 that Isro could look at a revised launch date as early as July 22. A source said: “First, we thought it could be early Monday morning, similar to the July 15 schedule. Now, it could be a little earlier.”

While an Isro senior scientist confirmed to TOI that the space agency is “hopeful” of a Monday launch, his colleague, who is informed about the failure analysis team’s work, did not deny it. “We’re hearing this from teams at the spaceport in Sriharikota.”

Jitendra Singh, junior minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday in a written reply that “all the required manoeuvres and mission management strategies have been worked out for soft landing of the spacecraft (Chandrayaa-2) on the Moon. The same have been reviewed and finalised. The communication links and networks have been planned for the sojourn.”

On a specific question about the revised date, his reply was: “The revised launch date will be announced later once decided.”

Every launch has an “optimal window” to achieve desired results. July 15 provided the longest window of 10 minutes. Now, Isro has a window of at least one minute every day for the rest of the month.



In Video: Isro likely to re-launch Chandrayaan-2 by July 21-22