Only 5% Of Chandrayaan 2 Lost, Orbiter Can Take Moon Pics: ISRO Official

The successful launch of Chandrayaan 2 on board the GSLV Mark 3 and its insertion in the lunar orbit will be seen as a testament to India's frugal space programme

The orbiter can take several pictures of the moon and send it to the ISRO over the next year. The orbiter can take pictures of the lander to find out its status too, the ISRO official added. The rover inside the lander had a lifespan of only 14 days.

On Saturday, contact was lost with the Moon lander Vikram just before it was due to touch down near the lunar south pole. A successful landing would have made India the fourth country -- after the United States, Russia and China -- to successfully land on the Moon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi watched the operation from the ISRO mission control and later asked the scientists to not "lose hope".