India's second moon mission, Chandrayaan-2, consists of a lander, rover and orbiter. Chandrayaan-2 launched to the moon on July 22, 2019, and is expected to arrive in lunar orbit on Sept. 6. The India Space Research Organization (ISRO) is targeting the moon's south pole as a landing spot.
Click through this gallery to see photos of the Chandrayaan-2 mission, starting with the spacecraft's assembly and liftoff.
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(Image credit: Indian Space Research Organisation)
The Indian Space Research Organisation's Chandrayaan-2 moon orbiter, lander and rover launch into space atop a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III-M1 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Sriharikota Island on July 22, 2019.
(Image credit: ISRO)
(Image credit: ISRO)
(Image credit: ISRO)
Chandrayaan-2 consists of an orbiter, a lander called Vikram and a rover known as Pragyan. Here you can see the Vikram lander mounted on top of the orbiter as ISRO engineers prepped the spacecraft for integration with the rocket.
(Image credit: ISRO)
The Chandrayaan-2 orbiter is pictured inside the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India.
(Image credit: ISRO)
The orbiter and lander modules were stacked together and placed inside the GSLV MK-III launch vehicle.
(Image credit: ISRO)
Chandrayaan-2 carries a total of 13 Indian payloads, as well as one passive experiment from NASA called the Laser Retroreflector Array.
Above, the ISRO team at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, mount the Vikram lander onto the spacecraft.
(Image credit: ISRO)
In the mission control room in India, an ISRO worker appears distressed after the Vikram lander experienced an anomaly during its landing attempt on Sept. 6, 2019,
(Image credit: ISRO)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with ISRO director K. Sivan after the agency lost communications with the Vikram lander.
(Image credit: ISRO)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with staff at the India Space Research Organisation on Sept. 6, 2019, after ISRO lost contact with its Vikram lander.
(Image credit: ISRO)
Students attending the landing event at the India Space Research Organisation on Sept. 6, 2019, speak with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after ISRO lost contact with its Vikram lander.
(Image credit: ISRO)
An Indian GSLV Mark III-M1 rocket carrying the country's Chandrayaan-2 moon orbiter, lander and rover stands atop its launchpad on Sriharikota Island awaiting launch.
(Image credit: ISRO)
India's Chandrayaan-2 mission captured this photograph of the moon on Aug. 21, 2019, days after the mission entered lunar orbit. It's Chandrayaan-2's first photo of the moon.
(Image credit: Indian Space Research Organisation)
An artist's illustration of India's Chandrayaan-2 orbiter (bottom) and the Vikram lander, which carries the Pragyan rover, in orbit around the moon. Chandrayaan-2 is an advanced version of India's first moon mission, Chandrayaan-1.
(Image credit: ISRO)
A look at the major elements of India's Chandrayaan-2 mission to the moon.
(Image credit: Indian Space Research Organisation)
An artist's illustration of India's Vikram lander and its rover Pragyan on the surface of the moon's south pole.
(Image credit: ISRO)
Chandrayaan-2 launched atop a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III M1 rocket, pictured here during the integration process.
(Image credit: ISRO)
The cryogenic engine for the rocket's upper stage is integrated with the GSLV Mk III rocket at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
(Image credit: ISRO)
The cryogenic engine for the GSLV Mk III rocket arrives at the vehicle assembly building for integration.
(Image credit: ISRO)
The rocket for India's Chandrayaan-2 moon mission is prepped for launch at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
(Image credit: ISRO)
The GSLV Mk-III rocket is India's most powerful booster to date.
(Image credit: ISRO)
The GSLV Mk-III is capable of lofting 4-ton satellites to geosynchronous transfer orbit.
(Image credit: ISRO)
Ahead of the integration process, a truck is seen transporting liquid core stage 110 of the launch vehicle.
(Image credit: ISRO)
The nose cone for the GSLV Mark III-M1 rocket is hoisted onto the mobile launch pedestal above two rocket boosters.
(Image credit: ISRO)
One of the solid boosters for the GSLV MKIII rocket is placed on the mobile launch pedestal ahead of the Chandrayaan-2 mission.
(Image credit: India Space Research Organisation)
The Indian Space Research Organisation's Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft (bottom) and its Vikram lander (top) are prepared to be encapsulated by a payload fairing before being loaded on their Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III-M1 rocket for a July 2019 launch.
(Image credit: India Space Research Organisation)
The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III M1 rocket carrying the Indian Space Research Organisation's Chandrayaan-2 moon orbiter, lander and rover stands atop its launchpad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. ISRO officials postponed the launch on July 15, 2019.
(Image credit: ISRO)
An illustration of India's Chandrayaan-2 lunar spacecraft.
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