India shoots for the moon with Chandrayaan-3; ISRO launches its third moon mission
Chandrayaan-3 launch: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched its much-anticipated Chandrayaan 3 mission on Friday from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
The GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle successfully launched off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota on time.
When will the spacecraft land?
The spacecraft's journey from Earth to the moon is estimated to take around a month, with the landing scheduled for August 23. It will operate for one lunar day, or around 14 Earth days, after landing.
One day on the Moon is equivalent to fourteen days on Earth.
Who is leading Chandrayaan-3 Mission?
Ritu Karidhal Srivastava is a senior scientist in the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) who played a key role in realising the Mars Orbiter Mission. It is being led by Ritu Karidhal Srivastava, India's very own 'rocket woman'.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission Launch
Chandrayaan-3, India's third lunar exploration mission, will make India the fourth country after the United States, China, and Russia to land a spacecraft on the moon's surface and demonstrate India's capabilities for safe and soft landings on the lunar surface.
Chandrayaan-3, India's third lunar exploration mission, will make India the fourth country after the United States, China, and Russia to land a spacecraft on the moon's surface and demonstrate India's capabilities for safe and soft landings on the lunar surface.
The ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission is the follow-up to the Chandrayaan-2 mission, which had difficulties during its soft landing on the lunar surface in 2019 and was ultimately deemed to have failed its key mission objectives.
After the orbit raising manoeuvres, Chandrayaan-3 will be put into the Lunar Transfer Trajectory. It will reach the Moon in the following weeks after travelling over 300,000 kilometres. Onboard scientific instruments will analyse the Moon's surface and add to our understanding.
Chandrayaan-3 has a lander, a rover, and a propulsion module. It weighs around 3,900 kilograms.
The Moon is a repository of Earth's past, and a successful lunar mission by India will help improve life on Earth while also allowing it to explore the rest of the solar system and beyond.
PM Modi on Chandrayaan-3
July 14, 2023, will be engraved in gold letters in the annals of India's space sector history, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ahead of the launch of India's third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3.
“This remarkable mission will carry the hopes and dreams of our nation,” PM Modi had tweeted.
“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,” he added
“Till Chandrayaan-1, the moon was believed to be a bone-dry, geologically inactive and uninhabitable celestial body. Now, it is seen as a dynamic and geologically active body with the presence of water and sub-surface ice,” the PM said, adding that it might be potentially inhabited in the future.