France, German congratulate India on successful launch of Chandrayaan 2

France and Germany on Monday congratulated India for the successful launch of the Chandrayaan 2 moon mission.

French Ambassador to India Alexandre Ziegler said the launch demonstrated India's technological advancement and ambition in space.

"Congratulations @isro on successful launch of #Chandrayaan2 which once again demonstrates India's technological advancement & ambition in #space!," the envoy wrote on Twitter.

"Proud of our historic #IndoFrench space partnership @CNES. Look forward to upcoming projects, from exploration to manned-missions," he added.

Meanwhile, the German Embassy in India also took to its Twitter account to congratulate India on the launch of Chandrayaan 2.

"@GermanyinIndia congratulates on the successful start of #Chandrayaan2 moon mission. India is a most valuable partner in cutting edge research in space and on our blue planet. Germany is proud to be a close partner of @isro!" the embassy tweeted.

The lunar mission was launched this afternoon by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

A Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III, carrying the spacecraft, lifted off at 2.43 pm, exactly a week after the mission was aborted following the detection of a technical glitch less than an hour before the launch.

In the run-up to the launch, the ISRO, on its Twitter handle, put out regular updates about preparations.

Chandrayaan-2 will explore a region of the moon where no mission has ever set foot. The spacecraft consists of an orbiter, a lander and a rover together referred to as "composite body". The landing on the moon's south polar region is expected on September 6 this year.

It will be the first Indian expedition to attempt a soft landing on the lunar surface. This mission will make India the fourth country after the US, Russia, and China to carry out a soft landing on the moon.