India is attempting to become the fourth nation to successfully land on the moon with its Chandrayaan-3 mission.
On Friday at 2:30 PM local time (5:00 AM ET), the project was successfully launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
The space center witnessed a huge gathering to witness this historic launch, and over 1 million people were tuned in on YouTube to watch it.
Later that day, Chandrayaan-3’s “precise orbit” and start of its journey to the moon were recognized on Twitter by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). It has been stated that the spacecraft is in “normal” health.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter, expressing his response with great enthusiasm. It soars high, lifting the dreams and aspirations of every Indian. I salute their passion and simplicity!”
After the failure of their previous attempt with Chandrayaan-2 in 2019, this is India’s second attempt at a soft landing. Chandrayaan-1, Chandrayaan-1, Chandrayaan-1, their first lunar mission, intentionally crashed landed on the moon’s surface while in lunar orbit in 2008..
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)-developed Chandrayaan-3 has a lander, propulsion module, and rover. The core objectives of this mission are centred around achieving a secure and precise landing on the lunar surface, enabling us to gather invaluable data and conduct a comprehensive array of scientific experiments.
Only the US, Russia, and China have successfully completed the challenging mission of a soft landing on the moon.
On this launch, Indian engineers have been working for several years. Their goal is to land Chandrayaan-3 near the challenging region of the moon’s unexplored south pole.
Chandrayaan-1, India’s first lunar mission, found water molecules on the moon’s surface. Eleven years later, Chandrayaan-2 successfully entered lunar orbit, but its rover suffered an accident on the lunar surface. It was also intended to locate the lunar south pole.
At that time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the engineers behind the mission despite the setback and promised to continue working on India’s space program and aspirations.
Just before the launch on Friday, Modi said, “As far as India’s space sector is concerned, this day will always be marked in golden letters.”
About $75 million has already been spent by India on the Chandrayaan-3 project.
Modi said that the rocket will cover a distance of approximately 300,000 kilometers and will reach the moon in next weeks.
India’s space program is over six decades old, originating when the country was a newly independent republic and struggling as an extremely poor nation torn by a bloody partition.
The nation was unable to match the aspirations of the US and the former USSR, who were well ahead in the space race, in 1963 when it launched its first rocket into space.
India now has the fifth-largest economy in the world and is the most populous nation.
Under Prime Minister Modi’s guidance, India’s space aspirations are advancing.
For the leader who came to power in 2014 on the ticket of nationalism and the greatness of the future, India’s space program is a symbol of the country’s rising prominence on the global stage.
India launched the $74 Mars Orbiter Mission to the Red Planet in 2014, making it the first Asian country to reach Mars.
India was one of only four nations to shoot down one of its own satellites in 2019, Modi claimed in a rare broadcast address. He claimed it was an anti-satellite test.
Kailasavadivoo Sivan, former chairman of ISRO in 2019 said that India plans to establish its own independent space station by 2030. Currently, the only available space station for mission crews is the International Space Station (a joint project among several countries) and China’s Tiangong Space Station.
The rapid development and innovation have made the space sector one of India’s most popular fields for investors – and it seems world leaders have taken note.
The White House reported that US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for deeper cooperation in the space industry during their meeting last month in Washington.