India’s first soft lunar landing mission
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India’s Chandrayaan 2 mission hopes to confirm evidence of water ice and essential minerals in the lunar crust. Eternally dark craters at the south pole are believed to hold vast quantities of water
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Orbiter: 2,379kg. Linked to Indian Deep Space Network. Eight science experiments

Vikram lander:  1,471kg

1. Sep 2: Lander separates from Orbiter during circular lunar orbit

2. Descent: Lander uses 800 N engines to slow from 6,000km/h to below 3.6km/h

Apollo 11

Lunar orbit

3. Sep 7: Soft landing on plain between Manzinus C and Simpelius N craters, in Moon’s southern polar region

Three science experiments

Lander serves as communications relay between rover and orbiter

4. Sep 7-21: Rover deployed. Rover can travel up to 500m, at speed of 1cm/sec. Will function for single lunar day (14 Earth days) 

Pragyan rover: 27kg. Two science experiments

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Sources: ISRO, NASA © GRAPHIC NEWS

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