Chandrayaan-3 LIVE: India has taken lead in space tech, says Jitender Singh

'Fat boy' LVM3-M4 rocket will carry Chandrayaan-3 on Friday as part of the country's ambitious moon mission

5:32 PM

The Mission will help us in exploring other exoplanets in Outer space: Programming Manager, Nehru Planetarium

5:02 PM

Soaring pride of India, tweets Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Chandrayaan-3

4:57 PM

Chandrayaan 3 is the fruit of decades of labour by the scientific community, says Rahul Gandhi

4:41 PM

It is a happy moment, we all are very delighted, says Chandrayaan-3 mission director Ritu Karidhal's brother

4:16 PM

This is also a vindication of the dream seen by the founding fathers of ISRO: Dharmendra Pradhan

4:06 PM

Proud moment for the whole nation, says Union Minister Nitin Gadkari

4:01 PM

School children at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota share there experience

3:52 PM

Let us hope that we will have a very successful mission ahead of us: Former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan

3:50 PM

India today embarked on its historic space journey with successful launch of Chandrayaan-3: Amit Shah

3:38 PM

It demonstrates nation's unwavering commitment to advancement in space science: President Droupadi Murmu

3:27 PM

Indeed moment of glory for India, destiny for all of us at Sriharikota: Union Minister Jitendra Singh

3:24 PM

An extraordinary feat: Assam CM congratulates Isro on Twitter

3:21 PM

Isro celebrates as LVM3 M4 vehicle successfully launches Chandrayaan-3 into orbit

3:17 PM

LVM 3-M4 rocket has put Chandrayaan-3 into precise orbit, says Isro chief

2:57 PM

Chandrayaan 3 successfully separates from LVM3-M4 rocket: ISRO

Chandrayaan 3 successfully separates from LVM3-M4 rocket, says ISRO

2:42 PM

LVM3-M4 rocket carrying Chandrayaan-3 lifts off from Sriharikota

LVM3-M4 rocket carrying Chandrayaan-3 lifts off from Sriharikota The Indian Space Research Organisation launched its third lunar mission--Chandrayaan 3 on-board the heavylift LVM3-M4 rocket here on Friday. At the end of the 25.30 hour countdown, the LVM3-M4 rocket, the largest and heaviest in its class and dubbed as 'Fat Boy' lifted off majestically at a prefixed time at 2.35 pm from the second launch pad, discharging thick plumes of smoke. Thousands of spectators who had converged to witness the historic launch cheered the rocket as it made its ascent into the skies.

2:33 PM

AP CM wishes ISRO ahead of Chandrayaan-3 launch

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday wished the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) a a successful launch for the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

 

He highlighted that the mission is being launched from Sriharikota, which is located in the southern state.

 

"My best wishes to the entire team at ISRO on the scheduled launch of Chandraayan-3 from Sriharikota in our very own Andhra Pradesh today," Reddy said in a tweet.

 

ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), SHAR is located at Sriharikota in Tirupati district.

2:23 PM

Spirits soar at Sriharikota ahead of Chandrayaan 3 launch; thousands descend at spaceport to witness liftoff

It is 'D-Day' here at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre as thousands of people comprising families and journalists have descended here to witness India's attempt at creating history with the launch of Chandrayaan 3, the Indian Space Research Organisation's third lunar mission. Despite scorching heat and a forecast of dry weather, passenger vehicles carrying ardent space enthusiasts were making a beeline to this spaceport. LVM3-M4 rocket will be carrying Chandrayaan 3. Over 10,000 persons from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka arrived here since early morning and they would be allowed to witness the launch from the dedicated space gallery set up by ISRO adjacent to the main entrance of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC).

1:48 PM

Countdown 'progressing' for Chandrayaan mission launch : ISRO

Countdown for India's ambitious moon mission, Chandrayaan 3 was 'progressing' for a scheduled launch on Friday at 2.35 pm, the Indian Space Research Organisation said.

 

Chandrayaan-3 mission is a follow up to the second lunar mission and ISRO is aiming for a soft landing on the surface of the moon by late August. A success would make India only the fourth country to achieve the feat after the United States, China and erstwhile USSR.

 

1:31 PM

CTTC Bhubaneswar that contributed to Chandrayaan-3 waits for launch, soft-landing

As the world keenly waits for the launch of India's Moon Mission Chandrayaan-3 on Friday, technicians and students at the Central Tool Room and Training Center (CTTC) here are equally anxious to see the successful soft landing of the vehicle on the moon's surface.

 

The members of the CTTC, Bhubaneswar, are anxious as this institute has supplied critical componts for the mission.

 

“We are anxious and feel like a student waiting for the examination results. We are highly optimistic that this time India would make history,” said L Rajasekhar, general manager of CTTC Bhubaneswar.

1:11 PM

Timeline of Chandrayaan missions undertaken by ISRO

Here is the timeline of the moon mission as undertaken by the Indian Space Research Organisation.

 

August 15, 2003: Then Prime Minister, the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee announces the Chandrayaan programme.

 

October 22, 2008: Chandrayaan-1 takes off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.

 

November 8, 2008: Chandrayaan-1 enters a Lunar Transfer Trajectory.

 

November 14, 2008: The Moon impact probe ejects from Chandrayaan-1 and crashes near the lunar South Pole -- 

 

confirming the presence of water molecules on Moon's surface.

 

August 28, 2009: End of Chandrayaan 1 programme as per ISRO.

 

July 22, 2019: Chandrayaan-2 launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

 

August 20, 2019: Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft inserted into lunar orbit.

 

September 2, 2019: Vikram Lander was separated while orbiting the moon in a 100kms lunar polar orbit, however, communication from the lander to the ground stations was lost at an altitude of 2.1 km from the surface of the moon.

 

July 14, 2023: Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft scheduled to lift off from the second launchpad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

 

August 23/24, 2023: Scientists at ISRO have tentatively scheduled soft landing on the lunar surface expected to take place by August 23-24 making India join elite nations to achieve the feat.

12:55 PM

Chandrayaan-3 mission will carry hopes and dreams of our nation: PM Modi

The Chandrayaan-3 mission will carry the hopes and dreams of our nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, lauding Indian scientists hours before the launch of India's third lunar mission.

 

Till Chandrayaan-1, the moon was believed to be a bone-dry, geologically inactive and uninhabitable celestial body while it is now seen as a dynamic and geologically active body with the presence of water and sub-surface ice, he said on Twitter.

 

Maybe in the future, it can be potentially inhabited, the prime minister added.

12:31 PM

Chandrayaan-3 should succeed in all respects: ex-Isro cheif Madhavan Nair

Veteran space scientist G Madhavan Nair said on Thursday the Chandrayaan-3 mission to the moon should succeed in all respects so that India can cross a major milestone in space exploration, and described the planned soft landing on the lunar surface as a very difficult and complex maneuver.

 

Speaking to PTI, the former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, said the mission is an important milestone for ISRO, and noted that the national space agency had made a number of simulations and strengthened the systems to resolve the problem faced during Chandrayaan-2 lander's soft- landing, which was unsuccessful, nearly four years ago.

 

"This moment I can only say that this mission should succeed in all respects so that we will cross a major milestone in space exploration", said Nair, under whose six year tenure as ISRO Chairman and Secretary in the Department of Space from 2003, as many as 25 successful missions were accomplished.

12:16 PM

Curious connection between various Chandrayaan missions and Tamil Nadu

What is so uniquely common about Chandrayaan series that started off with the maiden lunar mission back in 2008? A Tamil connect.

 

After Tamil Nadu-born Mayilsamy Annadurai and M Vanitha helmed Chandrayaan 1 and 2, Villupuram native P Veeramuthuvel will be overseeing the third mission that would be fired towards the moon onboard the heavy launch vehicle, LVM3-M4 from here on Friday.

 

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), under its chairmanship of the soft-spoken S Somanath, aims to enter an elite league of nations that have mastered the art of soft landing on the lunar surface, with a similar attempt made in 2008 not fetching the desired results. Read more...

12:14 PM

Chandrayaan-3: One more step for India's space mission, giant leap for L&T

With India set to enter a new orbit in space science with the launch of Chandrayaan III on Friday, multinational engineering, procurement, and construction major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) is also playing a key role in the mission.

 

The company is involved in every aspect of the mission, from manufacturing subsystems to mission tracking.

 

This is one step forward in strengthening the company’s association with India’s space programme for over five decades, it said on Friday.

12:14 PM

Chandrayaan-3 to herald India's quantum leap in global arena: Minister

India's ambitious space programme Chandrayaan-3 is going to herald the country's quantum leap in the global arena, Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh said here on Thursday.

 

After the success story of the covid vaccine produced in India, the country has become an important global player to reckon with, the minister who is in charge of the Department of Space said, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 11th India Alliance Annual Conclave 2023.

 

India Alliance is a public charity funded by the GoI's Department of Biotechnology to do research in health and biomedical sciences.

12:14 PM

S Somanath to M Sankaran, meet people behind India's Chandrayaan-3 mission

As the countdown for Chandrayaan-3, India’s third lunar exploration mission began around 1.05 pm on Thursday, more than 17,000 employees of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) waited eagerly with bated breath and nervous anticipation.

 

Chandrayaan-3 is the third instalment of the Chandrayaan series and India's second attempt to achieve a soft landing on the Moon's surface.

 

Only three countries (United States, Russia and China) have successfully landed spacecraft on the airless lunar surface.

 

The take-off is expected on Friday from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

 

“Countdown has started means it goes on a mission mode. Isro is all ready for the launch,” an official told Business Standard.

 

Before the countdown began, S Somanath, Isro chairman, and several key scientists visited the Tirupati Venkatachalapathy Temple with a miniature model of Chandrayaan-3, to pray for the mission’s success.

 

Here is a low-down of some of the key names behind the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Read more...