India plans to join the exclusive group of countries that have successfully landed on the Moon following the launch of its Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft next month.

Speaking in Bangalore on Wednesday, Indian Space Research Organization Chairman K. Sivan said that the spacecraft will launch from Sriharikota, an island off India's southeastern coast, on July 15.

Chandrayaan-2 will carry a lunar lander dubbed "Vikram," or "valor," which is expected to make a soft landing on the Moon’s surface on Sept. 6. The lander will transport a robotic rover that will explore the lunar surface.

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