INDIA'S SPACE AGENCY LOST CONTACT WITH CHANDRAYAAN 2 MOMENTS BEFORE IT WOULD HAVE EXECUTED A SUCCESSFUL SOFT LANDING ON THE MOON'S SURFACE, MAKING ITONLY THE 4TH COUNTRY AFTER RUSSIA, US AND CHINA TO DO SO. IT WAS A SETBACK TO IDNIA'S MAIDEN ATEMPT AT LANDING A LUNAR PROBE BUT A BILLION DREAMS ARE STILL PINNED ON THE MEN AND WOMEN WHOSE EXPERTISE AND SKILL TOOK US SO FAR. AS THE LANDER BEGAN THE 15 MINUTE AUTONOMOUS DESCENT TOUTED AS THE 15 MINUTES OF TERROR, IT OVERCAME A MAJOR HURDLE OF WHAT IS CALLED AS THE ROUGH BRAKING PHASE TO TO GO DOWN FROM A HEIGHT OF 30 KM TO AROUND 2.1 KM. HOWEVER, SOON AFTER IT LOST COMMUNICATION WITH INDIA. A DEJECTED ISRO CHAIRMAN K SIVAN READ OUT A TERSE STATEMENT WHEN THE LANDER LOST CONTACT, SAYING THE DATA IS BEING ANALYSED. HOURS AFTER THE PM MODI WHO HAD FLOWN TO BENGALURU TO WITNESS WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A HISTORIC MOMENT ASKED THE SCIENTISTS TO BE CORAGEOUS AND CONTINUE THEIR WORK ON OTHER MISSIONS. POLITICIANS, CELEBRITIES, SPORTSPERSONS AND MANY OTHERS STOOD IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE ISRO SCIENTISTS AFTRE THE LANDER WENT INCOMMUNICADO. ON THE BRIGHTER SIDE, 95% OF CHANDRAYAAN 2 IS STILL FUNCTIONAL. THE ORBITER WILL CONTINUE TO STUDY THE MOON FOR A YEAR.

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