India aborts first moon landing mission less than an hour before launch due to 'technical snag' [View all]
Source: South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
Published: 2:07am, 15 Jul, 2019 / Updated: 5:55am, 15 Jul, 2019
India on Monday called off the launch of a rocket aiming to take a probe to the moon less than one hour before blast-off because of a “technical” problem.
India had hoped the Chandrayaan-2 – or ‘moon chariot’ 2 – mission would make it the fourth country after Russia, the US and China to land a craft on the lunar surface.
India’s nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi is eager to show off the country’s security and technology prowess.
But the countdown at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre was stopped 56 minutes and 24 seconds before the planned launch at 2.51am.
“A technical snag was observed in launch vehicle system at T-56 minute,” the India Space Research Organisation said on Twitter. “As a measure of abundant precaution, #Chandrayaan2 launch has been called off for today. Revised launch date will be announced later.”
Read more: https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3018571/indias-first-lunar-landing-mission-chandrayaan-2-prepares
GODDAMMIT! I stayed up to watch the launch! I have (perhaps cynically) given up on the idea of this country ever being a world leader in space again. After all, Jeeeeeeeeesus doesn't believe "space" even exists! Thus, I have, for years now, been pinning my geek hopes on the Chinese and Indians. (But most definitely NOT the Russians. To paraphrase James T. Kirk: "I've never trusted them, and I never shall." Good night, jadies and lentlemen.)
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