Shillong, July 6: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has officially announced that the Chandrayaan-3 mission will be launched to the Moon on July 14. The spacecraft will take off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 2:35 pm. ISRO made the announcement after successfully transporting the spacecraft enclosed within the rocket to the launchpad.
Initially, ISRO had stated that the mission would launch on July 13, but the date has not been revised. ISRO Chief S Somnath revealed that the launch window will remain open until July 19. If the launch cannot take place on the scheduled date, it has the flexibility to be rescheduled until the 19th. Somnath expressed confidence in the mission’s success, anticipating a soft landing on the Moon this time.
Chandrayaan-3 marks the third phase of the Chandrayaan series and represents India’s second endeavor to achieve a gentle touchdown on the lunar surface. So far, only three nations have accomplished successful landings on the airless lunar world.
Equipped with a lander and a rover, the spacecraft will embark on a nearly two-month-long voyage to the Moon. It will initially enter lunar orbit before commencing the landing approach.