Chandrayaan-2: India launches second Moon mission

NEW DELHI (Web Desk) -India has launched its second lunar mission a week after it halted the scheduled blast-off due to a technical snag.

Chandrayaan-2 was launched at 14:43 local time (09:13 GMT) on Monday from the Sriharikota space station. The lift-off was broadcast live on TV and the space agency's official social media accounts. India hopes the $150m (£120m) mission will be the first to land on the Moon's south pole. The countdown on 15 July was stopped 56 minutes before launch after a "technical snag was observed in [the] launch vehicle system", according to Isro. Indian media have reported that a leak from a helium gas bottle in the cryogenic engine of the rocket was to blame. The fuel from the rocket was drained and the scientists resolved the glitch. "It was a simple to fix [but it was] a serious problem that could have resulted in total failure," said a source at Isro. It added the spacecraft was ready "to take a billion dreams to the Moon - now stronger that ever before". The countdown on 15 July was stopped 56 minutes before launch after a "technical snag was observed in [the] launch vehicle system", according to Isro. Indian media have reported that a leak from a helium gas bottle in the cryogenic engine of the rocket was to blame. Isro thanked people for supporting the mission despite the delay.