India launches historic Chandrayaan-3 mission to land spacecraft on the moon.
Chandrayaan, which means “moon vehicle” in Sanskrit, blasted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota in southern Andhra Pradesh state at just after 2:30 p.m. local time (5 a.m. ET).
Crowds gathered at the space center to watch the history-making launch and more than 1 million people tuned in to watch on YouTube.
The Indian Space Research Organization confirmed on Twitter later Friday that Chandrayaan-3 is in “precise orbit” and has “begun its journey to the moon.”
It added that the health of the spacecraft is “normal.”
In response, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “Chandrayaan-3 scripts a new chapter in India’s space odyssey. It soars high, elevating the dreams and ambitions of a every Indian. This momentous achievement is a testament to our scientists’ relentless dedication. I salute their spirit and ingenuity!”
The craft is expected to land on the moon on August 23.
It’s India’s second attempt at a soft landing, after its previous effort with the Chandrayaan-2 in 2019 failed Its first lunar probe, the Chandrayaan-1, orbited the moon and was then deliberately crash-landed onto the lunar surface in 2008.
Developed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Chandrayaan-3 is comprised of a lander, propulsion module and rover. Its aim is to safely land on the lunar surface, collect data and conduct a series of scientific experiments to learn more about the moon’s composition.
Only three other countries have achieved the complicated feat of soft-landing a spacecraft on the moon’s surface – the United States, Russia and China.
Indian engineers have been working on the launch for years. They are aiming to land Chandrayaan-3 near the challenging terrain of the moon’s unexplored South Pole.
India’s maiden lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, discovered water molecules on the moon’s surface. Eleven years later, the Chandrayaan-2 Sucessefully entered lunar orbit but its rover crash-landed on the moon’s surface. It too was supposed to explore the moon’s South Pole.
At the time, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the engineers behind the mission despite the failure, promising to keep working on India’s space program and ambitions.
Just before Friday’s launch, Modi said the day “will always be etched in golden letters as far as India’s space sector is concerned.”
“This remarkable mission will carry the hopes and dreams of our nation,” he said in a Twitter post.
India has since spent about $75 million on its Chandrayaan-3 mission.
Modi said the rocket will cover more than 300,000 kilometers (186,411 miles) and reach the moon in the “coming weeks.”
The spacecraft has successfully taken off from Earth and is now in orbit around the planet in its journey towards the Moon. It has many critical events lined up, including earth-bound manoeuvres, insertion into the lunar orbit, separation of the lander, a set of deboost manoeuvres and a power descent phase for a soft landing, according to P Veeramuthuvel, project director of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft.
As the Chandrayaan-3 lifted off into the crisp blue skies above Sriharikota and tore through the fluffy clouds, spectators cheered, wishing the rocket luck for its 1 month-long journey.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission is hitching a ride to space on ISRO’s most powerful rocket—the Launch Vehicle Mark-III. The launch vehicle is powered by two S2000 solid rocket boosters that will provide the thrust required for takeoff. The L110 liquid stage will take over once the solid boosters separate from the launch vehicle. After the liquid stage is separated, the CE25 cryogenic stage will power the vehicle.
ISRO's Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM3) M4 rocket carrying 'Chandrayaan-3' lifts off from the launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, in Sriharikota, Friday, July 14, 2023.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to his Twitter account to express his thoughts on the launch of Chandrayaan-3. “Chandrayaan-3 scripts a new chapter in India's space odyssey. It soars high, elevating the dreams and ambitions of every Indian. This momentous achievement is a testament to our scientists' relentless dedication. I salute their spirit and ingenuity!” he wrote.
Meanwhile, President Droupadi Murmu, in her tweet extended her heartfelt congratulations to the ISRO team and everyone who worked relentlessly to accomplish the feat. “It demonstrates the nation's unwavering commitment to advancement in space science and technology. My best wishes for the success of the lunar mission,” she wrote
There are still many critical events set to happen soon including earth-bound manoeuvres, insertion into the lunar orbit, separation of lander, a set of deboost manoeuvres and a power descent phase for a soft landing, according to P Veeramuthuvel, project director of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft.
LVM3 has injected the Chandrayaan-3 into the desired orbit around the Earth
The Chandrayaan-3 mission is hitching a ride to space on ISRO’s most powerful rocket—the Launch Vehicle Mark-III. The launch vehicle is powered by two S2000 solid rocket boosters that will provide the thrust required for takeoff. The L110 liquid stage will take over once the solid boosters separate from the launch vehicle. After the liquid stage is separated, the CE25 cryogenic stage will power the vehicle.
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