India just witnessed history as Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched Chandrayaan-3. The powerful rocket took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, at 2.35 PM IST on Friday, July 14. With this mission, the country aims to land softly on the lunar surface and explore it with a rover. A successful landing will make India the fourth country to achieve the feat after the United States, Russia, and China. Before we dive into further details, here’s a look at the first pictures and videos from the launch of Chandrayaan-3. Scroll down:
Goosebumps 🔥🇮🇳#Chandrayaan3 pic.twitter.com/ZjewwozQlG
— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) July 14, 2023
When Chandrayaan-2 Failed To Complete The Mission in 2019!
Back in 2019, ISRO planned Chandrayaan-2, a ₹978 crore mission aimed to soft-land a module on the moon’s surface. However, things didn’t go as planned after the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) lost contact with the Vikram lander when it was just 2.1 km from the lunar surface. With Chandrayaan-2, India’s objective was to make history by becoming the first nation to land close to the south pole of the moon’s surface. One of the geniuses behind the project, Dr Sivan called Chandrayaan-2 the “most complex mission ever undertaken by ISRO”.
Chandrayaan-3 will be India’s third lunar mission consisting of an indigenous lander module (LM), propulsion module (PM), and a rover with the objective of developing and demonstrating new technologies required for inter-planetary missions. It is expected to orbit the Earth about 5-6 times in an elliptical cycle while moving towards the lunar orbit. It would be a proud moment for the entire nation if the rover successfully makes it to the moon.
If this mission has piqued your curiosity and you wish to get updates by the minute, keep your eyes glued to the Twitter handle and YouTube channel of ISRO!
Feature Image: Twitter
