Chandrayaan-3 launch scheduled for July 14 from SDSC, Sriharikota: ISRO

India’s premier space agency, the Indian SPace Research Organisation (ISRO), has announced that the launch of Chandrayaan-3 is scheduled for July 14, 2023, at 2:35 pm IST from SDSC, Sriharikota. In preparation for the launch, the Chandrayaan-3 orbiter was successfully mated with the LVM3 launch vehicle at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on July 5.

In preparation for the launch, ISRO successfully integrated the encapsulated assembly, which contains Chandrayaan-3, with the launch vehicle known as LVM3. This significant milestone occurred at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, as shared by ISRO on Twitter.

ISRO’s chairman, S Somnath, had previously informed ANI that the planned launch window for the third lunar mission falls between July 13 and July 19. He expressed confidence in achieving a soft landing on the moon during this mission.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission comes as a follow-up to India’s second lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2, which encountered an obstacle when the Vikram lunar lander crashed on the moon’s surface on September 6, 2019. The upcoming Chandrayaan-3 launch aims to build upon the learnings from its predecessor.

One notable addition to Chandrayaan-3 is the inclusion of the Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload. This equipment is designed to study the spectral and polarimetric measurements of Earth from lunar orbit.

Additionally. ISRO has determined three primary objectives for the Chandrayaan-3 mission. These objectives include successfully achieving a safe and gentle landing on the moon, demonstrating the rover’s mobility on the lunar surface, and conducting direct scientific observations on-site.

Earlier reports from October last year suggested that ISRO aimed to launch Chandrayaan-3 in June 2023. However, the current schedule confirms the official launch date as July 14, 2023.

ISRO’s pursuit of space exploration continues with Chandrayaan-3, as India strives to enhance its knowledge of the moon and reinforce its position in the realm of lunar missions.