ISRO successfully launched the Chandrayaan-3 mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota
India’s Chandrayaan-3 lifted off perfectly at 2:35 pm today from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh and headed on its 40-day journey to the Moon carrying what PM Modi called “the hopes and dreams of the entire nation. “
The moon lander Vikram was launched into orbit by India’s reliable Mark 3 heavy-lift launch vehicle termed Bahubali.
The success of Chandryaaan-3 will make India only the fourth nation after the USA, Russia and China to land a spacecraft on the lunar surface.
The spacecraft will cover a journey of 300,000 km and is scheduled to land on the moon on August 23-24 with potential adjustments depending on the sunrise over the moon. If necessary, ISRO will reschedule the landing for September.
Upon landing, it will explore the surface of the moon with the scientific instruments on board for one lunar day, which is approximately 14 Earth days.
Earlier, highlighting the significance of Chandrayaan-3 lift-off today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India’s third mission to the moon carries the hopes and dreams of the entire nation.
In a tweet thread, the Prime Minister said : “14th July 2023 will always be etched in golden letters as far as India’s space sector is concerned. Chandrayaan-3, our third lunar mission, will embark on its journey. This remarkable mission will carry the hopes and dreams of our nation.
Chandrayaan-3 will be inserted into the Lunar Transfer Trajectory after the orbit raising maneuvers. It will reach the Moon in the coming weeks after covering 300,000 km. Scientific instruments onboard will study the Moon’s surface and enhance our knowledge, he explained.
“Thanks to our scientists, India has a very rich history in the space sector. Chandrayaan-1 is considered to be a path breaker among global lunar missions as it confirmed the presence of water molecules on the moon. It featured in over 200 scientific publications around the world,” PM Modi said.
Also read: Explainer: What India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission to the Moon is all about
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