India's space agency is preparing to launch its ambitious Chandrayaan-2 lunar mission this weekend

India's space agency is preparing to launch its ambitious Chandrayaan-2 mission next week which is set to land near the currently unexplored south pole of the moon. Chandrayaan-2 will blast off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota on the country's south west coast at 2.51am (10.21pm It is the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) second lunar probe, and the first one destined to land on the moon, and is scheduled to land on September 6. India will become only the fourth country, after the US, Russia and China, to reach Earth's satellite if successful. The ISRO has said it chose to explore the south pole as it is possible there is water in the permanently shadowed areas, which could pave the way for future lunar habitation.