Why India's Moon mission is not just another space mission

India's second moon mission Chandrayaan-2 is on its way to the Moon. This is the first time India will do a soft landing on any object in the space.

Indian people cheers and celebrates as they watch the live telecast of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) orbiter vehicle 'Chandrayaan-2' Source: EPA

Group Captain (retd) Ajay Lele, a senior fellow in the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), explains the significance of this mission.

"I think it is a significant milestone for India. The first mission had an orbiter which took some pictures of the Moon from its orbit. Chandrayaan-2, however, will reach the surface of the Moon, and a rover will make a soft landing. India has never made a soft landing on any object in the space. So, this is a big achievement," says Mr Lele who has authored the books like 'Mission Mars, India's Quest for the Red Planet' and "Asian Space Race: Rhetoric or Reality?"

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Why India's Moon mission is not just another space mission

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If successful, India will become the fourth country to make a soft landing on the Moon only after Russia, the US and China.

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