New Delhi: As the clock ticks down, excitement is mounting for the launch of India’s third lunar exploration endeavour, Chandrayaan-3, by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday.
Scheduled for liftoff at 2:30 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, the GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle will release the moon lander and rover into space.
The countdown for the launch commenced on Thursday at 14:35:17 IST, paving the way for Friday’s momentous event.
Chandrayaan-3 represents ISRO’s follow-up attempt following the challenges encountered during the Chandrayaan-2 mission’s soft landing on the lunar surface in 2019, which ultimately led to its mission objectives being deemed unfulfilled.
ISRO has completed the “Launch Rehearsal,” simulating the entire launch preparation and process, in preparation for the upcoming mission.
Weighing approximately 3,900 kilograms, Chandrayaan-3 is equipped with a lander, a rover, and a propulsion module. It carries eight payloads, including four instruments on the Vikram lander, two instruments on the Pragyan rover, and one experiment on the Orbiter or Propulsion Module.
The spacecraft’s journey from Earth to the moon is estimated to take around a month, with the anticipated landing slated for August 23. Once on the lunar surface, it will operate for approximately 14 Earth days, equivalent to one lunar day.
K. Sivan, the former director of ISRO, expressed that the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission would provide a morale boost to programmes such as Gaganyan, India’s inaugural manned space mission.
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