Sriharikota: Chandrayaan-3, India’s third lunar mission, conducted by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was launched today from Satish Dhawan Space Centre. With this, 14th July 2023 will always be etched in golden letters as far as India’s space sector is concerned. The spacecraft was launched on a GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle.
ISRO retweeted a tweet by PM Modi. “14th July 2023 will always be etched in golden letters as far as India’s space sector is concerned”, tweeted PM Modi.
Lead by India’s very own rocket woman, Ritu Karidhal, Chandrayaan-3 is expected to demonstrate a safe and soft landing on the surface of the moon. It is expected to demonstrate rover operations on the moon and conduct in-situ experiments on the lunar surface. Chandrayaan-3 will be inserted into the Lunar Transfer Trajectory after the orbit-raising maneuvers. Covering 300,000 km, it shall reach the moon in the coming weeks.
Till Chandrayaan-1, the moon was believed to be a bone-dry, geologically inactive, and uninhabitable celestial body. However, now it is seen as a dynamic and geologically active body with the presence of water and sub-surface ice. It was considered a path breaker among global lunar missions as it confirmed the presence of water molecules on the moon. The research was featured in over 200 scientific publications worldwide.