Less than an hour before the launch, a cautious ISRO postponed the mission due to a "technical snag" in its most powerful rocket.
It was a moment the country waited with bated breath. Watched by President Ram Nath Kovind, India's second mission to the Moon, Chandrayaan-2, on board GSLV-Mk-III, dubbed as 'Baahubali', was scheduled for 2.51 am on Monday.
However, less than an hour before the launch, a cautious ISRO postponed the mission due to a "technical snag" in its most powerful rocket.
Scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) were assessing the seriousness of the problem with the heavylift GSLV Mk-III rocket carrying the satellite that put a halt to the ambitious Rs 976 crore lunar mission because of the last-minute hurdle.
The ISRO was tightlipped as to what may have caused the glitch that occurred when liquid propellant was being loaded into the rocket's indigenous cryogenic upper stage engine. But several space scientists said the agency must be appreciated for calling off the launch, rather than hurrying into a major disaster.
"A technical snag was observed in the launch vehicle system at t-minus 56 minutes. As a measure of abundant precaution Chandrayaan 2 launch has been called off for today," ISRO Associate Director (Public Relations) B R Guruprasad said. He did not specify the nature of the snag A revised launch date will be announced later, he added.
"Launch is called off due to technical snag. It is not possible to make the launch within the (launch) window. (A new) launch schedule will be announced later," another ISRO official said, India's space agency had earlier scheduled the launch in the first week of January but shifted it to July 15.
Billed as the most complex and prestigious mission ever undertaken by the ISRO since its inception, Chandrayaan-2 has the potential to make India the fourth country to soft land a rover on the lunar surface after Russia, the United States and China.
Meanwhile, former ISRO chief K Madhavan Nair recalled that India's first mission to the Moon too had experienced a similar problem shortly before the rocket could blast off. But ISRO scientists found and rectified the error and the mission took off as planned, he said.
(With inputs from Agencies)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Spectators")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}