Express News Service CHENNAI/COIMBATORE: Now begins the exciting phase of India’s second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2. In the early hours on Wednesday, the spacecraft successfully entered lunar transfer trajectory and is expected to reach Moon’s orbit on August 20. Chandrayan II leaving the Earth’s orbit and heading towards the Moon on the country’s 73rd Independence Day symbolises India’s technological advancement, said renowned scientist Mayilsamy Annadurai. He termed it a proud moment for all Indians. Speaking to TNIE in an exclusive interview, Mayilsamy Annadurai said, “Despite spending billions of dollars, foreign nations failed to discover details about the presence of water on the moon. Our mission changed the way people look at the moon.” “Though we started the missions very late, ours were cost-effective, reliable and successful.” Mayilsamy Annadurai The maneuver that enables the spacecraft to leave the Earth’s gravitational pull and head towards the moon is an important one, he pointed out, adding that experiences in the successful Mangalyan and Chandrayan I missions helped ISRO to carry out the Trans Lunar Insertion (TLI) Maneuver flawlessly. “Those experiences will help us reach the Moon in another five days. With this, 50 per cent of the mission has been completed successfully,” he said. Chandrayan II, launched on July 22, is being monitored by space agencies around the globe. At 2.20 am on Wednesday, ISRO performed the crucial Trans-Lunar Insertion (TLI) operation firing on-board liquid engine for about 1,203 seconds (20 minutes) in order to catapult the spacecraft away from Earth’s orbit to lunar trajectory. Earlier, the spacecraft’s orbit was progressively increased five times during July 23 to August 6. In a statement, ISRO said: “The health of the spacecraft is being continuously monitored from the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru with support from Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) antennas at Byalalu.”

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