India Blasts Rocket into Space to Land on Moon’s South Pole

India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), successfully launched a rocket on Friday. The rocket propelled a spacecraft into orbit, aiming for a historic landing next month on the lunar south pole.

On Friday afternoon, the ISRO’s LVM3 launch rocket took off from the primary spaceport in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. As it soared into the sky, it left behind a trail of smoke and fire, marking the beginning of its journey.

Approximately 16 minutes later, the mission control of ISRO confirmed that the rocket had achieved its objective of placing the Chandrayaan-3 lander into an orbit around the Earth.

This trajectory will enable the spacecraft to embark on a path that will ultimately lead to a planned landing on the moon next month.

Congratulations India on the launch of #Chandrayaan3! 🌕🚀🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/3QL9sSSE21

— Nilanjan Das (@NilanjanDasAITC) July 14, 2023

Additionally, if this mission proves successful, India will join an esteemed group of only three other countries that have accomplished a controlled landing on the lunar surface. These countries include the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China.

At precisely 2:35 p.m. local time (0905 GMT), the rocket soared into the sky from India’s primary spaceport. Moreover, the launch captivated the attention of a vast audience, with over 1.4 million individuals tuning in to witness the event through ISRO’s YouTube channel.

Crashing of India’s Chandrayaan-2

Chandrayaan-2, the second lunar exploration mission crafted by the ISRO, embarked on its journey from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh on 22nd July 2019.

The spacecraft successfully entered the Moon’s orbit on 20th August 2019 and initiated a series of orbital maneuvers to position the Vikram lander for its anticipated landing.

However, during the landing attempt on 6th September 2019, the lander deviated from its intended path and tragically crashed, according to Wikipedia.

Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft and expected landing

The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft comprises three essential components: the lander module, propulsion module, and rover.

The primary purpose of the lander is to achieve a gentle touchdown at a predetermined location on the Moon and deploy the rover.

Once deployed, the rover will conduct a detailed chemical analysis of the lunar surface. Both the lander and the rover are equipped with numerous scientific instruments to facilitate various experiments on the lunar surface, reported Indian Express.

Congratulations India, on the Chandrayaan-3 moon mission! 🌕🚀🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/StBdvKGoU6

— Kunal Kushwaha (@kunalstwt) July 14, 2023

ISRO has announced that the expected lunar landing is scheduled for August 23. This marks India’s first significant mission following the implementation of policies by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government aimed at encouraging investments in space launches and satellite-based enterprises.

Moreover, expressing his support, Prime Minister Modi took to Twitter, stating, “will carry the hopes and dreams of our nation.”