If everything goes normal then landing on the moon is expected on August 23 at around 5.47pm IST, says ISRO chief S Somanath Chandrayaan-3 Launch LIVE Updates: The Chandrayaan-3 mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, at 2.35 PM IST on Friday, July 14.
'Fat boy' LVM3-M4 rocket is carrying Chandrayaan-3 as part of the country's ambitious moon mission. Chandrayaan-3 mission consists of an indigenous propulsion module, lander module and a rover with an objective of developing and demonstrating new technologies required for inter-planetary missions.
"The countdown is progressing at SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota. Propellant filling in the L110 stage is completed. Propellant filling in the C25 stage is commencing," ISRO tweeted on Friday, ahead of the launch.
The Chandrayaan-3 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.
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, as per scientists.
The propulsion module along with the lander, after gaining speed would proceed for an over a month long journey towards reaching the orbit of the moon until it goes 100 km above the lunar surface.
After reaching the desired position, the lander module would begin its descent for a soft landing on the south pole region of the moon and this action is expected to take place on August 23 or 24, scientists at ISRO said, as per PTI. The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft would be the first to land at the lunar south pole.
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President Droupadi Murmu took to Twitter to congratulate the ISRO team and everyone behind Chandrayaan-3 mission. "It demonstrates the nation's unwavering commitment to advancement in space science and technology," she said.
"Chandrayaan-3 scripts a new chapter in India's space odyssey. It soars high, elevating the dreams and ambitions of every Indian. This momentous achievement is a testament to our scientists' relentless dedication. I salute their spirit and ingenuity!," said PM Modi after the successful launch of India's third Moon mission Chandrayaan-3.
Film star Ajay Devgn in a tweet said, "Today, all eyes will be glued to the TV & the skies as our nation stands on the verge of another historic feat."
The Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover have been engineered to function for a single lunar daylight period, which roughly translates to about 14 Earth days, as per ISRO
ISRO Chairman S Somanath said instead of a success-based design in Chandrayaan-2, the space agency opted for a failure-based design in Chandrayaan-3, focused on what all can fail and how to protect it and ensure a successful landing.
Read more about ISRO's 'failure-based design' here: Chandrayaan 3: What is ISRO's 'failure-based design' and how it can lead to successful landing
Veteran space scientist G Madhavan Nair said on Thursday the Chandrayaan-3 mission to the moon should succeed in all respects so that India can cross a major milestone in space exploration, and described the planned soft landing on the lunar surface as a very difficult and complex maneuver.
Speaking to PTI, the former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, said the mission is an important milestone for ISRO, and noted that the national space agency had made a number of simulations and strengthened the systems to resolve the problem faced during Chandrayaan-2 lander's soft- landing, which was unsuccessful, nearly four years ago.
Even as the mission architecture remains the same, there are certain differences between the two missions. The biggest difference between the two missions is in what's being taken onboard the GSLV-MkIII rocket. While Chandrayaan-2 comprised of Vikram lander, Pragyan rover, and an orbiter, Chandrayaan-3 will launch with just a lander and a rover.
Read more: India's Moon Mission: How Chandrayaan-3 is better than Chandrayaan-2; key differences explained
