New Delhi: This is the first time that India has made an attempt at a soft landing on any non-terrestrial surface with Chandrayaan-2 and this will be a complex mission as the lander will be landing on the unmapped lunar surface, said Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, Head of the Nuclear Policy Initiative at the Observer Research Foundation.
"The first lunar mission was the Chandrayaan which was basically about sending an orbiter in the moon's orbit. The Chandrayaan-2 is a more complex one," she added.
She further stated: "Previously, the US, China and Russia have done it. But it is India's first attempt at a soft landing. Our mission is far difficult than theirs."
Speaking on the complexity of the mission, she said, "ISRO Chairman Sivan had himself said that the last 15 minutes will be the most terrifying because right before the landing as it has to figure out exactly where it is going to land."
"It's not going to be something that can be controlled from here as it has to use the sensors that are located on the lander itself to find the right spot to land," she added.
Upon being asked about her judgement of the mission in the first 100 days of Modi government, she said, "Yes, political leadership deserves some credit for the mission as financial resources made available for such missions are important and moreover, without the government's clearance, it would not have been possible."
She also praised ISRO's leadership for the mission. She said, "It is definitely a major technological achievement for ISRO. The decision of landing at an unmapped surface itself signifies the confidence of the strong leadership in the organisation."
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