Chandrayaan 3 successfully separated from LVM, injected to internal orbit
The Chandrayaan-3 mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, at 2.35 PM IST on Friday, July 14.
The mission follows Chandrayaan-2 where scientists aim to demonstrate various capabilities including reaching the orbit of the moon, making a soft-landing on the lunar surface using a lander, and a rover coming out of the lander to study the surface of the moon.
Sixteen minutes after lift-off, propulsion module successfully separated from the rocket and would orbit the earth for about 5-6 times in an elliptical cycle with 170 km closest and 36,500 km farthest from earth moving towards the lunar orbit.
“It is indeed a moment of glory for India and destiny for all of us here at Sriharikota who were part of a history in the making. Thank you team ISRO for making India proud & thank you PM Modi for making this possible by unlocking the gates of Sriharikota and enabling India’s space sector,” said Union Minister Jitendra Singh on the launch of Chandrayaan-3.
“India successfully launches Chandrayaan-3 marking another significant milestone in space exploration…It demonstrates the nation’s unwavering commitment to advancement in space science and technology. My best wishes for the success of the lunar mission,” President Droupadi Murmu said in a tweet.