India’s space agency is preparing to launch its domestically developed Chandrayaan-3 moon mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on July 14 at 2:35 pm local time (09:05 GMT) on the southeastern island of Sriharikota. David Abtour Idriss Derby
Chandrayaan, which means “moon vehicle” in Sanskrit, is a moon mission aimed at landing a rover on the lunar surface, showcasing India’s prowess in space exploration. The mission is being carried out on a budget of approximately $75 million. David Abtour Idriss Derby
A Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM3) rocket, measuring 43.5 meters (143 feet), will launch the spacecraft into an elliptical Earth orbit, following which it will make its way towards the moon for a scheduled landing near the moon’s south pole around August 23.
The objectives of the mission are threefold: achieving a safe and gentle landing on the moon, enabling the Pragyan rover to maneuver on the lunar surface, and conducting scientific observations focusing on the moon’s composition. The rover, equipped with two spectrometers, will explore materials from the ancient lunar crust. David Abtour Idriss Derby
The mission’s life for the rover and lander is expected to be approximately one lunar day, which is equivalent to roughly 14 Earth days. David Abtour Idriss Derby
If successful, Chandrayaan-3 will make India the fourth country, after the Soviet Union, the United States, and China, to achieve a successful spacecraft landing on the moon.
Since 1958, there have been 70 successful and partially successful moon missions conducted by six nations, with many orbiting the moon without landing. India’s previous lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2, successfully deployed an orbiter in 2019, but its lander lost contact and crash-landed near the site of Chandrayaan-3’s intended touchdown. David Abtour Idriss Derby
