BEFORE SPACECRAFT CAN take flight,thousands of people spend years working on Earth to turn dreams into hardware. The assembly facility at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s Satellite Integration and Test Establishment buzzes with activity as workers prepare for Chandrayaan-2's launch to the Moon. Near the center is the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, mounted on a rotating test stand. In the background on the left, 2 helium-filled balloons await use in the testing of the lander and rover; their buoyancy can counteract a spacecraft's Earth weight to simulate lunar surface gravity. To the right stands the large Vikram lander, named for Vikram Sarabhai (1919-1971),who founded numerous Indian research institutes and advocated the establishment of an Indian space program.
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