New Delhi, March 4: Chandrayaan 3 or the third phase of India's lunar mission would be tentatively launched in the first half of 2021, said Union Minister of State (MoS) Jitendra Singh in the Parliament. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had on January 1 announced that it would be undertaking the third moon mission, with the desired objectives of Chandrayaan 2 mission. ISRO Postpones Launch of GISAT-1 Satellite Planned For March 5 Due to Technical Reasons.

MoS Singh, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on being asked about the schedule of Chandrayaan 3, said, "The tentative launch schedule for Chandrayaan – III is first half of 2021." Singh was authorised to reply as he is the junior Minister in the Department of Space.

Upon realisation of the third lunar mission, India would become the fourth country after the United States, China and erstwhile Soviet Union to make a soft-landing on the moon's surface. While New Delhi was expected to achieve the feat in September last year, it failed to make the list after the rover of Chandrayaan 2 mission lost contact with the orbiter minutes before the scheduled landing.

Update by ANI

K Sivan, the chief of ISRO, had in January claimed that the Indian space agency would attempt to launch Chandrayaan 3 in 2020. He had, however, underlined that the mission may spillover to the first half of 2021. Sivan further added that the targeted area of moon for the mission's landing would remain the same.

The estimated cost of Chandrayaan 3 mission was reported to be 35 million USD. MoS Singh, while speaking to reporters on January 1, had called the new mission "quite economical" as only the rover and lander would be sent into the space. The orbiter, which was dispatched as part of Chandrayaan 2, would play its role in the Chandrayaan 3 mission as well.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 04, 2020 07:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).