ISRO's Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM3) M4 rocket carrying Chandrayaan-3 lifts off from the launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, in Sriharikota on Friday. (Photos: AP)Chandrayaan-3 Launch Highlights: India’s third mission to the moon — Chandrayaan-3 — took off successfully from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on Friday afternoon. Following the success, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to congratulate all involved and said that Chandrayaan-3 scripts a new chapter in India’s space odyssey. The project has costed around Rs 600 crore, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said while addressing the media.
When is the landing expected? This whole process is likely to take around 42 days, with the landing slated for 5.47 pm on August 23 at the lunar dawn.
What is the mission about? The mission aims to achieve what its predecessor could not — land softly on the lunar surface and explore it with a rover. A successful soft landing will make India the fourth country, after the United States, Russia, and China, to achieve the feat. After launching into an orbit around the Earth at an altitude of 179 km on Friday, the spacecraft will gradually increase its orbit in a series of manoeuvres to escape the Earth’s gravity and slingshot towards the moon. After reaching close to the moon, the spacecraft will need to be captured by its gravity. Once that happens the lander, which carries the rover inside it, will separate from the propulsion module and start its powered descent.
The LVM3 M4 vehicle has been moved to the launch pad. (Twitter/Isro)
Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan and Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for the successful launch of the third lunar mission, 'Chandrayaan-3'. Terming it a "proudest moment" for the people of the country, the chief minister in a Twitter post said, "Many congratulations, best wishes and Johar to all for the historic successful launch of Chandrayaan-3 from Sriharikota." He said, "We are touching new heights every day due to the hardworking scientists of our country. ISRO has once again raised the prestige of the country." ISRO launched its third lunar mission--Chandrayaan 3 on board the heavy lift LVM3-M4 rocket from Sriharikota on Friday.
Jharkhand Governor tweeted, "Every citizen of the country is proud of this remarkable achievement of ISRO." Meanwhile, the officers, engineers and workers of Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC) Limited in Ranchi also expressed happiness over the successful launch.
The successful launch of India's ambitious moon mission Chandrayaan-3 on Friday was one more achievement for the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
A statement from the Gujarat CMO said Patel congratulated all those associated with the mission and expressed happiness for the successful launch of Chandrayaan-3.
Wishing the successful completion of every next phase in the mission, Patel said, "Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, India is achieving world-class achievements at regular intervals and today's launch of Chandrayaan-3 has become another milestone." According to Ritesh Kumar Sharma, a scientist-engineer at the ISRO's Space Application Centre (SAC) here and deputy project director of Chandrayaan-3 mission, data collected through this mission will serve as "milestones" for subsequent missions to the moon.
"The lander of Chandrayaan-2 lost contact due to the hard landing on moon's surface instead of the planned soft landing. However, that experience helped us in developing Chandrayaan-3. The data collected through this mission will serve as milestones for subsequent missions. The data will also help us in deciding whether we can inhabit the moon," said Sharma.
Dr Vrajesh Parikh, general manager for science popularisation at the state government-run Science City here, said this mission will test India's claims of being an "atmanirbhar" or self-reliant nation.
"This mission is a test of India's claim of being atmanirbhar. This mission's success will serve as a proof to that claim. Though Chandrayaan-2 faced issues in landing, our scientists had used that experience and built more robust systems and modules. I am confident it will achieve 100 per cent success and this mission will help the entire world," said Parikh. (PTI)
BJP leaders, including Union ministers, on Friday hailed the successful launch of Chandrayaan-3 with party president JP Nadda calling it “historic” and a testament to the ingenuity and perseverance of the country's scientists.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari called the launch of the lunar mission "a proud moment" for the country and congratulated ISRO as well as its team of scientists "on creating a new chapter in space innovation by successfully launching the Chandrayaan-3”. “Proud moment for the whole nation! Heartiest congratulations to ISRO and the dedicated team of scientists on creating a new chapter in space innovation by successfully launching the Chandrayaan-3,” Gadkari tweeted.
“This extraordinary endeavour carries the aspirations and dreams of 1.4 billion Indians,” he said.
Under the "visionary leadership" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India will enlist itself as only the fourth country to achieve this remarkable feat in lunar missions, Gadkari added.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in a tweet said, "Great visuals – these embody the skill, passion and spirit of New India. Our quest for space excellence takes-off in style. Chandrayaan-3." Congratulating ISRO on the launch of Chandrayaan-3, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said this mission will go a long way in transforming India's identity as an upcoming superpower in the space sector and will "surely" make India the fourth nation to land on the moon.
"For India, sky is no longer the limit!" he tweeted, adding "My heartfelt congratulations to the @isro team and the entire nation for the successful launch of Chandrayaan-3". BJP chief spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni also congratulated ISRO for the successful launch and called it a "historic" moment.
"A proud moment for every Indian! Heartiest congratulations to the team ISRO for the historic launch of Chandrayaan-3. Under the decisive leadership of PM Narendra Modi ji, India is on the verge of becoming the fourth country to land spacecraft on the moon," Baluni tweeted.
The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research-National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) said the main launch vehicle — Mark III, or LVM3 — that carried the Chandrayaan-3 module on Friday had undergone more than 3,000 wind tunnel tests at the Bengaluru facility. A wind tunnel tests the aerodynamics of rockets and aircraft. It helps manufacturers understand the nature of the flow of air over and around a rocket and other aircraft. Read More
India’s third mission to the moon — Chandrayaan-3 — took off successfully from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on Friday afternoon. Union Minister of State for Department of Space Dr Jitendra Singh talks to Anonna Dutt of The Indian Express about the significance of the mission and how it makes India’s inputs invaluable in the global scientific arena. Read More
The Chandrayaan-3 that aims for a soft landing on the moon's surface, paving the way for future interplanetary missions, carries six payloads that would help ISRO understand the lunar soil and also get the blue planet's photographs from the lunar orbit.
The payloads, which include RAMBHA and ILSA, would perform a series of path-breaking experiments during the 14-day mission. They would study the moon's atmosphere and dig the surface to understand its mineral composition.
Lunar lander Vikram will click photos of the rover Pragyaan as it studies the seismic activity on the moon by dropping some instruments. Using laser beams, it would try to melt a piece of the lunar surface — the regolith — to study the gases emitted during the process.
"We know the moon does not have any atmosphere. But this is not exactly true because gases do come out of it. Rather they get ionised and stay very close to the surface. This changes with day and night," ISRO Chairman S Somanath told PTI.
The Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA) on the lander will measure the near-surface plasma density and its changes with time. The rover will study how this small atmosphere, atomic atmosphere and the charged particles vary, Somanath said.
"This is very interesting. We also want to find out whether the regolith has electric or thermal characteristics," he said. The Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) will measure seismicity around the landing site and delineate the structure of the lunar crust and mantle. "We will drop an instrument and measure the vibration — what you call the 'moonquake' behaviour or the internal processes — the movements happening there," the ISRO chief said.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the successful launch of the third lunar mission, 'Chandrayaan-3' and termed it as 'historic triumph' for the nation.
It is the "proudest moment" for all people in the country and the mission will bring in groundbreaking results in space research, he said in a tweet. "Proudest moment for all Indians as our third lunar mission #Chandrayaan3 has been launched by @isro .
Congratulations to all behind its successful launch. It is a historic triumph for our nation as the mission will bring in groundbreaking results in space research," Vijayan tweeted.
Andhra Pradesh Governor S Abdul Nazeer and Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for successfully launching Chandrayaan–3 mission to the moon.
Nazeer wished for the success of the mission, fulfilling the aspirations of all Indians and hoped that the moon lander Vikram will have a safe landing on the moon. A press release from Raj Bhavan said, the Governor hoped that the rover, Pragyan, will roam the moon's surface to conduct scientific experiments.
The Chief Minister wished for the lunar expedition to have a smooth and successful landing. Reddy noted that the launch will propel the country's space prowess into an orbit of glory, winning a place of pride on the global map. (PTI)
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday expressed happiness over the successful launch of the first phase of India's ambitious Moon mission, Chandrayaan-3.
Congratulating the ISRO chairman, scientists and other technical staff on the occasion, the Chief Minister extended his best wishes. With the success of the first phase of Chandrayaan-3, India's space research sector has crossed a major milestone, the Chief Minister said. (PTI)
The Indian Space Research Organisation has taken corrective measures after the failed bid to soft-land on the Moon nearly four years ago, and is expecting successful touch down on the lunar surface with its Chandrayaan-3 mission but it's going to be a challenging job, its former Chairman K Sivan said on Friday.
"This is a very important launch, and we have done it successfully," he told PTI after the launch of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, and noted that expectations in India from the ambitious venture are very high. "Last time we could not do the landing mission (Chandrayaan-2) successfully. So, this time we are attempting (again). We have planned with all corrective measures. The launch happened today successfully. So that way the first phase is over successfully," Sivan, who was the ISRO Chairman during the Chandrayaan-2 mission, said by phone from the spaceport of Sriharikota.
"Moon landing is not an easy job. It's a challenging job...(but) we are expecting that we will land successfully," he added.
A town in northern Assam watched with bated breath the launch of ‘Chandrayaan-3' as a son of the soil was among those at the helm of the country's third lunar mission.
Parents of Chayan Dutta, the deputy project director who is overseeing the launch control operations of the highly anticipated mission, witnessed the moment of launch at their small shop in North Lakhimpur town, flanked by a couple of friends and customers.
"It is the blessings of everyone which has led our son thus far. We seek their best wishes for more such success in the future," the proud father Ranjit Dutta told PTI in between attending customers and receiving congratulatory messages. In his seventies now, Dutta sells cutlery and cooking utensils from his small shop in the town, which has been the family's mainstay for years now.
"We are people from humble background. I am happy that a couple of my friends could join us in sharing this moment," Dutta said, watching the launch on a mobile phone with his wife and few others.
India’s third lunar mission and second attempt to soft-land on the Moon, the Chandrayaan-3, took off today at 2:35 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Center (SDSC) in Sriharikota — a spindle-shaped island on the east coast of Andhra Pradesh.
The SDSC is the country’s only spaceport from where spacecraft and satellites are launched. It became operational on October 9, 1971, with the flight of ‘Rohini-125’, a small-sounding rocket, and was initially known as SHAR (Sriharikota Range). But in September 2002, the space centre was renamed Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR to honour mathematician and former Isro Chairman Satish Dhawan. Read More
Union Minister Jitendra Singh, while addressing the media following the successful launch of Chandrayaan-3, said that the project costed around Rs 600 crore.
India’s third lunar mission and second attempt to land on the Moon set off on Friday afternoon, with a tentative deadline a month from now. A lot rides on the project given the failure of Chandrayaan II in its mission in the last moments. Space exploration has seen its many moments, but the Moon retains a special place as the one interspatial object which humans have touched down upon.
It was a little over half a century ago that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to set foot on the Moon, on July 20, 1969. India was going through the pangs of bank nationalisation, there was turmoil within the ruling Congress which would eventually lead to concentration of more and more powers by an insecure Indira Gandhi as Prime Minister, finally resulting in the Emergency six years later. But the sentiment of that moment, of “a small step for man, a giant leap for mankind”, overrode all these underlying tensions. Read More
As India’s third moon mission took to the skies, ISRO Chairman S Somanath said that the soft landing of Chandrayaan 3 is planned for 5.47 pm on August 23.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said the successful launch of the Chandrayaan-3 mission is a proud moment for India and would inspire young minds to take up research in science and technology.
He congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation, the national space agency headquartered here, for the successful launch. "It is a proud moment for India and a new milestone in India's space research and innovation", the chief minister said. This achievement will inspire young minds of India to take up research in science and technology, Siddaramaiah added.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge quoted former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru while congratulating the team at ISRO on the successful launch of the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
“…I am convinced that the methods and approach of science have revolutionized human life more than anything else in the long course of history, and have opened doors and avenues of further and even more radical change, leading up to the very portals of what has long been considered the unknown,” Kharge wrote on Twitter, quoting Nehru.
From Union Ministers to common people around the country, wishes and congratulatory messages for the ISRO team and all those involved poured in following the successful launch of India’s third moon mission.
President of India, Droupadi Murmu, too, congratulated the ISRO team following the successfull launch. “India successfully launches Chandrayaan-3 marking another significant milestone in space exploration. Heartiest congratulations to the @ISRO team and everyone who worked relentlessly to accomplish the feat! It demonstrates the nation's unwavering commitment to advancement in space science and technology. My best wishes for the success of the lunar mission,” the President tweeted.
Following the successful launch of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, Union Minister Jitendra Singh, while addressing the media, said: “It is indeed a moment of glory for India and destiny for all of us here at Sriharikota who were part of history in the making. Thank you team ISRO for making India proud and thank you PM Modi for making this possible by unlocking the gates of Sriharikota and enabling India's space sector.”
He added: “As PM Modi had said, sky is not the limit and the Chandrayaan mission has done just that.”
Following the successful launch of India’s third moon mission, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to congratulate all those involved and said: “Chandrayaan-3 scripts a new chapter in India's space odyssey. It soars high, elevating the dreams and ambitions of a every Indian. This momentous achievement is a testament to our scientists' relentless dedication. I salute their spirit and ingenuity!”
Following the successful lift-off, ISRO chairman S Somanath says that the Chandrayaan-3 mission is on its way to the moon. LMV3 mission director S Mohana Kumar added that Chandrayaan 3 has been successfully injected into the precise orbit.
The Chandrayaan-3 satellite separates from the rocket phase and enters space in the earth-centric phase
India’s third mission to the moon — Chandrayaan-3 — lifted off successfully from Andhra Pradesh.
With all eyes set towards the Chandrayaan-3 launch, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal tweeted: “Today is a very important day for the country. Through the Chandrayaan-3 mission, India will once again try to step on the moon. Best wishes to all the scientists associated with this mission and to the entire team of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) as well as to all the countrymen. It is expected that soon we will hoist the tricolor on the moon as well.”
The LVM3 is a three-stage rocket where the solid fuel stage will fire at blast off at 2.35 pm. The second liquid fuel stage where the L110 engines are used will fire around 108 seconds after take off. The third cryogenic stage will ignite after 307.96 seconds of flight and will power the rocket for nearly 10 minutes to take the spacecraft into space and place it in a geo transfer orbit around the earth. The third cryogenic stage uses an indigenous developed C25 cryogenic engine which is powered by liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. The cryogenic stage will provide the rocket a maximum thrust of 10.242 km/sec.
Chandrayaan-3 auto launch mode has been set to start after the weather conditions and all technical aspects supported the launch at 2:35pm
Among the dignitaries at the mission centre gallery to view the launch of the Chandrayaan 3 mission on board the LVM3 rocket are minister of state Jitendra Singh, former ISRO chairman Dr Radhakrishnan, Kiran Kumar and K Sivan.
The countdown for launch of Chandrayaan 3 mission on board the LVM3 rocket enters the final half hour. The Chandrayaan-3 mission will begin its 384,000 km journey to the moon with blast off from earth at 14:35:17 hours.
The project director for the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft and its mission to make a soft landing on the moon is P Veeramuthuvel who was involved in a technical manner with the Chandrayaan 2 mission in 2019.
ISRO chairman S Somanath arrives at mission control ahead of LVM3 launch for Chandrayaan-3 mission.
The mission director for the LVM3-M4/Chandrayaan-3 set for launch shortly is S Mohana Kumar, a senior scientist from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. Mohana Kumar was the mission director earlier this year for the successful commercial launch of the One Web India 2 satellites on board the LVM3-M3 mission in March this year.
Ahead of the Chandrayaan-3 launch, scientists conducted final checks on rocket.
Countdown clock and scene at media gallery at Satish Dhawan Space Centre with 1.14.31 hours left on the clock for the blast off at 14:35:17 hours of the LVM3 rocket carrying the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft.
The key ISRO persons in the Chandrayaan 3 launch mission are S Mohan Kumar, the mission director, and P Veeramuthuvel, the project director for the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft.
The countdown for India’s third mission to the moon — Chandrayaan-3 — has entered the final 90 minutes. The filling of the liquid oxygen in the cryogenic engine which will fire the rocket in the third and final stage has been completed. The filling of liquid hydrogen in the cryogenic engine is also under completion.
The mission is set to take off at 2:35 pm today, as the country aims to achieve what its predecessor could not — land softly on the lunar surface and explore it with a rover. A successful soft landing will make India the fourth country, after the United States, Russia, and China, to achieve the feat.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch the Chandrayaan-3 mission, its second attempt and a soft landing on the Lunar surface. The mission will take off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre today at 2:30 pm. Stakes are high with this ambitious mission as if it succeeds India will join the coveted list of countries to achieve a soft landing on the Moon. So far the US, the erstwhile Soviet Union, and China are the only countries to accomplish it.
Now that India is gearing up for the highly-anticipated launch of Chandrayaan-3, hopes are high. If you have not been able to catch up on all the updates related to India’s third lunar mission, here are some frequently asked questions to help you.
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Ahead of the launch of the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his best wishes and said, "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."
A group of 40 students from Punjab government schools will attend the launch of India’s moon mission Chandrayaan-3 at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, in Andhra Pradesh.
Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said 40 students from Punjab government’s Schools of Eminence (SoE) left for Sriharikota Thursday from Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Chandigarh.
Bains said the students were selected for the exposure visit on the basis of their rankings in SoE entrance exam. Those who are in science stream have been given preference to help them gain required exposure.
On the three-day visit, they will also see the entire space research facility at Sriharikota and learn about India’s space missions and advancements in space technology, said Bains.
Divya Goyal reports
The Indian Aerospace Defence News tweeted that all the preparations have been completed for the launch of the Chandrayaan-3, and the countdown shall begin at 2:30 pm today.
India's ambitious space programme Chandrayaan-3 is going to herald the country's quantum leap in the global arena, Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh said here on Thursday.
After the success story of the covid vaccine produced in India, the country has become an important global player to reckon with, the minister who is in charge of the Department of Space said, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 11th India Alliance Annual Conclave 2023. India Alliance is a public charity funded by the GoI's Department of Biotechnology to do research in health and biomedical sciences.
Although India started its journey in space-related activities late compared to countries such as the USA and the former USSR, the minister pointed out, it is Chandrayaan-1 that picked up evidence of the presence of water on the surface of the moon, which became handy even for premier space agencies like NASA to conduct future experiments. (PTI)
Students from civic schools in Maharashtra's Aurangabad will get to see the live telecast of the launch of the country's third moon mission, Chandrayaan-3, on Friday (July 14), officials have said.
The students will be shown the live telecast of the Chandrayaan-3 launch to create interest in science, said an official from the Aurangabad Smart City Development Corporation Limited. (PTI)
Ahead of India's ambitious space programme Chandrayaan-3, former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan on Thursday said its successful landing will make India only the fourth nation to achieve this and it would increase the potential for space science development in the country.
Talking to PTI here, he said this will also help India boost its share in the global space business. Currently India's share in the 600 billion-dollar industry is an abysmal 2 per cent. The former ISRO scientist said that as India is now inviting private participation in technology development, it would also increase the scope for more startups to enter the area.
"It means a lot for many players to start their work. For example, I would imagine that many startups will come, and even the startups that we have will have better funding. Many foreign countries may also land here with their startups or add to an existing startup," Narayanan said. (PTI)
India’s third mission to the moon will take off on Friday at 2:35 pm. The mission aims to achieve what its predecessor could not — land softly on the lunar surface and explore it with a rover. The previous mission, Chandrayaan-2, had failed in its very last leg. What went wrong the last time, and what changes has Chandrayaan-3 made? What will the spacecraft do once it does reach the moon? Read More