Inside Story Of Chandrayaan 2 Mission Control When Launch Was Called Off

As the clock struck 1 this morning, the countdown to the launch of Chandrayaan 2 was well on its way. A successful launch for India's most ambitious space mission yet would propel the country into an elite club. Only three other countries - the US, Russia and China - have successfully soft-landed a spacecraft on the moon's surface.

With less than hour to go, there was an "atmosphere of expectation", Jyotsna Dhawan, the daughter of Dr Satish Dhawan, after whom the space centre is named, told NDTV exclusively.

"There was this tremendous atmosphere of expectation as we walked in and we sat there watching the countdown. We sat there for half an hour watching the countdown and watching the way in which the scientists went about their work. It was remarkable," Ms Dhawan, who was in the viewing gallery, said.