India plans to launch its second mission to moon by 2017 in the wake of the success of its maiden lunar mission.
"Chandrayaan-II is a mission where we essentially need to move on (lunar) surface to conduct experiments. We will launch Chandrayaan-II with an indigenous rover and lander using GSLV by 2016 or 2017," Indian Space Secretary K. Radhakrishnan told the media in the national capital Friday.
"In May 2012, we conducted a feasibility study on development of a lander and this has been completed. We find that we will be able to develop a lander in India. We need two to three years' time," he added.
India had in October 2008 successfully launched its maiden mission to moon, Chandrayaan-I, meant to orbit the Earth's natural satellite at a height of 100 km from the lunar surface for chemical, mineralogical and photo-geologic mapping.