The name Chandrayaan means "Moon Craft" in ancient Sanskrit, according

to NASA. Chandrayaan-1 was India's first mission to the moon. It operated

for almost a year (between October 2008 and August 2009). The
Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft was based on an Indian meteorological satellite
called Kalpansat. It was about the size of a refrigerator, with a dry weight
(weight without fuel) of about 525 kilograms (1,160 lbs.) and was powered
by a solar array that charged lithium-ion batteries on board. Chandrayaan-1
made 3,400 orbits of the moon and continued transmitting data until Aug.
29, 2009, when controllers permanently lost communication with the
spacecraft. Its major goal was to collect data about the moon's geology,
mineralogy and topography. Chandrayaan-II is India's second lunar
exploration mission after Chandrayaan-1. Developed by the Indian Space
Research Organization(ISRO), the mission was launched from the second
launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre on 22 July 2019 at 2.43 PM
IST (09:13 UTC) to the Moon by a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk III).[21][8][9] It was launched on 22 July 2019 from
the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Nellore district of Andhra
Pradesh The main scientific objective is to map the location and abundance
of lunar water. In addition, South Pole region has craters that are cold traps
and contain a fossil record of the early Solar System. . the mission has an
allocated cost of ₹978 crore (approximately US$141 million) It consists of a
lunar orbiter, a lander, and a lunar rover named Pragyan, all of which were
developed in India. The lander and orbiter have scientific instruments
aboard as well. The lander has a seismometer designed to examine moon-
quakes, a probe to measure the thermal properties of the lunar surface, and
instruments to examine the moon’s tenuous atmosphere, as well as a
special mirror from NASA to precisely measure the distance between Earth
and the moon. The orbiter has a suite of eight scientific instruments to map
the lunar surface and study its atmosphere. After launching, the integrated
module will reach the Moon orbit by using the Orbiter propulsion module.
Then, Lander will automatically separate from the Orbiter and land at the
site close to lunar South Pole.

Chandrayaan-2 is expected to land on September 7, 2019.

If the landing is successful, it will make India just the fourth nation to
complete a soft landing on the moon, after the US, USSR, and China, and
the first to land near the south pole.