Indian Space Research Organisation’s chairperson K Sivan on Saturday said the agency’s second lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2, is a “calculated risk” undertaken in the knowledge that 50% of such launches have failed, reported PTI.

“Though half of lunar missions have failed, ISRO is taking a calculated risk, because calculated risk along with innovation is absolute essential if we want to be a major player in the space industry,” Sivan said. “Chandrayaan-2 is also a calculated risk,” he said, while addressing the ninth convocation of Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management in Hyderabad.

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Sivan said the Chandrayaan-2’s landing site on the moon is above 70 degrees latitude, “where no one else has gone before”. India has not only developed launch vehicles and satellites, but also undertaken extremely challenging and inspiring missions like Chandrayaan, Mars Orbiter Mission and Astrosat, he said.

He also said the first demonstration flight of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle, which is going to be the cheapest launch vehicle in the world with least turnaround time, will be in mid-2019, according to The Hindu Business Line. The innovations in the design will ensure that the vehicle is assembled in around 72 hours rather than the required 70 days.

Chandrayaan-2 is set for launch in January 2019.

India to soon get 100 Gbps internet speed

Sivan said India has the second largest internet user base, but the present broadband speed is the 76th in the world. “With high throughput satellites GSAT-11, GSAT-29 and GSAT-20 set to be launched before the end of next year, the country can enjoy more than 100 Gbps high bandwidth connectivity across the country, which will help bridge the [digital] gap,” he said.

ISRO’s aim is to launch 19 missions up to March 2019, which will include four satellites to provide higher bandwidth for connectivity for the government’s Digital India scheme, Sivan had said earlier.