India's lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 to explore dark side of the Moon: THINGS TO KNOW

India's second mission to the Moon, Chandrayaan-2, would be launched on July 15, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) Chairman K Sivan announced in June this year.

Chandrayaan-2 is an Indian lunar mission that will go to the Moon's south polar region. The mission's aim is to improve the understanding of the Moon - discoveries that will benefit India and humanity as a whole.

These insights and experiences aim at a paradigm shift in how lunar expeditions are approached for years to come - propelling further voyages into the farthest frontiers.

The Moon is the closest cosmic body at which space discovery can be attempted and documented. It is also a promising test bed to demonstrate technologies required for deep-space missions.

Chandrayaan-2 attempts to foster a new age of discovery, increase humans' understanding of space, stimulate the advancement of technology, promote global alliances, and inspire a future generation of explorers and scientists.

Indian Space Research Organisation on its website explains, "Extensive mapping of lunar surface to study variations in lunar surface composition is essential to trace back the origin and evolution of the Moon. Evidence for water molecules discovered by Chandrayaan-1, requires further studies on the extent of water molecule distribution on the surface, below the surface and in the tenuous lunar exosphere to address the origin of water on the Moon."