When was the Chandrayaan programme officially announced by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee?
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced the project on the 15th of August 2003. Government approval followed in November of that same year.
Questions about Chandrayaan programme
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What date did Chandrayaan-1 launch and when did it enter lunar orbit?
Chandrayaan-1 launched on the 22nd of October 2008 aboard a PSLV rocket. It entered lunar orbit on the 10th of November 2008.
Why did the Chandrayaan-2 lander crash during its descent in September 2019?
Five engines generated higher thrust causing errors to accumulate over time while the lander could not turn fast enough due to limited turning capability. The chosen landing site left too little room for error at an altitude near 2.1 kilometers.
On what date did Chandrayaan-3 successfully soft land on the Moon?
The lander named Vikram successfully soft landed on the 23rd of August 2023. This achievement made India the fourth country to soft land on the Moon.
When is the Lunar Polar Exploration Mission LUPEX scheduled to launch?
The Lunar Polar Exploration Mission named LUPEX targets launch between 2028 and 2029. India collaborates with Japan's JAXA for this lander-rover mission.