The Indian Space Research Organisation on Friday launched the much-awaited Chandrayaan-3 mission to the Moon. The spacecraft lifted off in a textbook launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on board the Launch Vehicle Mark-III.
Chandrayaan-3 is India's second attempt to land on the surface of the Moon and the third mission part of the Chandrayaan series. Developed at an estimated cost of Rs 615 crore, the mission aims to make India a lunar fairing nation and join the elite club.
The LVM3 successfully accomplished the mission by injecting the Chandrayaan-3 mission in a precise orbit, proving its capability yet again. All three stages performed nominally and the spacecraft separated from LVM-3, over 900 seconds post-launch from Sriharikota.
Isro will now perform the orbit-raising maneuvers in the coming days to put the spacecraft on the road to the Moon. Chandrayaan-3 is scheduled to arrive in lunar orbit on August 5 and the soft-landing attempt is expected by the end of the month.
Only three other countries have so far been successful in landing a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon. These include the United States, Russia, and China. India aims to be the fourth country to register its name in the record books.
India has launched a propulsion module, lander, and rover to the Moon with Chandrayaan-3. While the Propulsion Module will carry the spacecraft into lunar orbit, it will be the lander-rover configuration that attempts the dangerous landing. Upon separation, the lander will attempt a landing in the Southern Polar Region of the Moon.
"It is indeed a moment of glory for India and a moment of destiny for all of us who are part of history in the making. Thank you team Isro for making India proud," Minister of Space Dr Jitendra Singh said. He said this day is a day of vindication. Vindication for the dream Dr. Vikram Sarabhai saw six decades ago. When we see those pictures of launch vehicles being carried on a cycle without any embarrassment or remorse, Vikram and his team had faith in India's potential and we are vindicating India's indigenous abilities.
The final landing location is yet to be announced. However, details indicate it could be closer to the landing spot of Chandrayaan-2, which crashed in 2019. The mission will use the orbiter of Chandrayaan-2, which is already in lunar orbit, to communicate with the ground stations on Earth.
Beyond landing, Chandrayaan-3 is India's official entrant into the modern-day Moon race as the US, Russia, and China mount missions to the lunar world. India has recently joined the Artemiss Accords with the US, opening up doors for cooperation and data exchange on lunar missions.
----ENDS----
Source : Indiatoday
Powered By : Eagle Tech Media
