The upcoming Chandrayaan-3 mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is scheduled to take off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, at 2.35 PM IST on Friday, July 14.
The mission follows Chandrayaan-2 where scientists aim to demonstrate various capabilities including reaching the orbit of the moon, making a soft-landing on the lunar surface using a lander, and a rover coming out of the lander to study the surface of the moon.
According to scientists, after the lift-off at 2.35 pm on Friday, around 16 minutes after lift-off, propulsion module is expected to get separated from the rocket and would orbit the earth for about 5-6 times in an elliptical cycle with 170 km closest and 36,500 km farthest from earth moving towards the lunar orbit.
To witness the event live, you can watch the streaming of the launch on ISRO’s official website and YouTube channel. The live coverage will begin at 2 PM IST on July 14. Alternatively, you can also visit indianexpress.com for real-time updates on the mission. Check all the latest updates here.
As India prepares for its third lunar mission, Chandrayaan 3, popular actors Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher, and Suniel Shetty have taken to social media to express their support and admiration for ISRO scientists and the country. Suniel Shetty conveyed his wishes for “astronomical” success to ISRO, while Akshay Kumar emphasized that it is a moment to rise.
The highly anticipated launch of Chandrayaan 3 will take place on Friday at 2:35 pm, with the “Fat boy” LVM3-M4 rocket carrying the mission to the moon. The actors’ messages serve as an encouragement to the scientists and reflect the nation’s anticipation and enthusiasm for the upcoming moon mission.
India’s space agency made final preparations on Friday for the launch of a rocket that will attempt to land a robotic rover on the moon’s south pole, a first in space exploration.
India would join a group of three other countries that have managed a controlled lunar landing, including the United States, the former Soviet Union and China, if the mission succeeds.
The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft would also be the first to land at the lunar south pole, an area of special interest for space agencies and private space companies because of the presence of water ice that could support a future space station.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said it had completed a review of the mission readiness ahead of Friday’s scheduled launch.
Ahead of India’s ambitious space programme Chandrayaan-3, former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan on Thursday said its successful landing will make India only the fourth nation to achieve this and it would increase the potential for space science development in the country, PTI reported.
Presently, India’s presence in the $600 billion industry stands at a modest 2%. Narayanan further highlighted that with the introduction of private participation in technology development, there would be expanded prospects for startups to enter the sector.
