ISRO ended up having to develop most of the technology on its own after Russia's Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities pulled out of a joint development agreement for the lander in 2011.
The goal of Chandrayaan-2 is to explore the rarely visited south pole region of the Moon. "This is the second time that ISRO has selected a Lynred infrared detector for a space launch, which further strengthens our more than ten-year partnership", he added. Chandrayaan-2's most spectacular selling point is that it cost less than a Hollywood movie.
In a feat accomplished by only three countries so far - the United States, Russia and China - the project aims to make a soft landing on the moon and seal India's reputation as a leading space power.
Kailasavadivoo Sivan, chairman of ISRO said: "It is the beginning of a historical journey of India towards the Moon, and to land at a place near the south pole to carry out scientific experiments to explore the unexplored".
It will take about 47 days to travel before landing on the moon in September.
Now India hopes to top that achievement with its Chandrayaan-2 lunar mission.
"China is committed to the peaceful use of outer space and we actively engaged in global communication and cooperation on the issue", she said.
It may be recalled that earlier this year, Israel's first moon mission crash-landed while attempting to touch down. India has specialized in low-priced space launches since the early 1960s, when rocket sections were transported by bicycle and assembled by hand inside St. Mary Magdalene Church in Thumba, a fishing village near the tip of the Indian peninsula.
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Experts say the successful second attempt so soon after the aborted launch highlights ISRO's confidence in its technological capabilities, which have not been hamstrung by its paltry $1.8 billion budget.
Originally the rocket was to fly on July 15, at 2:51am but due to a technical glitch, the mission was called off one hour before take-off.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country's lunar program will get a substantial boost, writing on Twitter that the country's existing knowledge of the moon "will be significantly enhanced".
Maintaining communication between the lander, rover and orbiter will also be a challenge.
India plans to send its first manned spaceflight by 2022.
LIBS analysis The "Pragyaan" lander craft payload includes a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument that will be used to identify and quantify concentrations of chemical elements at the landing site, providing an insight into the types of minerals that make up the lunar landscape.
The lander (named Vikram, after the founder of Isro) weighs about half as much, and carries within its belly a 27kg Moon rover with instruments to analyse the lunar soil.
India has spent about $140 million on Chandrayaan-2 - designing and building nearly all of its components domestically - leading it to be hailed the mission as one of the cheapest ever.
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