Web Desk, July 14, 2023: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced Friday that it has launched a controlled moon landing mission Chandrayaan-3 into orbit from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, in Sriharikota.
The ambitious Indian moon mission Vehicle Mark-III (LVM3) M4 rocket carrying ‘Chandrayaan-3 has started its journey towards the moon in space in order to seek a soft landing on the moon by late August, according to Indian media reports.
Chandrayaan, which means “moon vehicle” in Sanskrit, lifted off just after 2:30pm local time (5am ET).
So far, only three countries — the US, China and the former Soviet Union — have made successful moon landings.
While sharing an update on the space mission, ISRO wrote in a Tweet: “Chandrayaan-3, in its precise orbit, has begun its journey to the Moon. Health of the Spacecraft is normal.”
“LVM3 M4 vehicle successfully launched Chandrayaan-3 into orbit,” it further write in another tweet.
Chandrayaan-3 is the third lunar exploration mission in the fourth operational mission (M4) of the LVM3 launcher, formerly the GSLVMkIII rocket, reported Indian media.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter Friday: “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. Covering over 300,000 km, it will reach the Moon in the coming weeks. Scientific instruments onboard will study the Moon’s surface and enhance our knowledge,” Modi wrote on Twitter.
Several people gathered at the space centre to watch the launch and more than 1 million people tuned in to watch the live streaming of the liftoff on YouTube.
India has launched its moon landing mission for the second time after failing in 2019 with the Chandrayaan-2.
The most populous country’s first moon mission the Chandrayaan-1, orbited the moon, and later on was deliberately crash-landed onto the lunar surface in 2008.