India’s moon landing Mission, Chandrayaan 3, zoomed into space from Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on a launch vehicle (GSLV Mark 3 Rocket) at 2.35 PM local time, on July 14, 2023.
The launch vehicle has successfully placed Chandrayaan 3 in orbit.
Chandrayaan 3, which comprises a propulsion module, a lander named Vikram, and a rover named Pragyan, is expected to make a soft landing on the south of the moon around August 23.
Pragyan rover weighs 26 kg, has half a kilometer range, and will work for nearly two weeks conducting scientific experiments such as testing the soil to check components and measuring seismic activity.
The 75-million-dollar project is India’s second attempt at landing a rover on the moon. The previous attempt in 2019 resulted in a crash.
If successful, India would only be the fourth country to land on the moon.