ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 Set for Mid-July Launch, Reveals ISRO Chief
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jun 30, 2023

The Indian Space Research Agency (ISRO) is preparing for the anticipated launch of its third lunar expedition, dubbed Chandrayaan-3. Officials from the agency disclosed that the mission is tentatively scheduled for mid-July.

A high-ranking ISRO official mentioned, "We have the launch window between July 12 and July 19. The exact date has not been finalised."

The Chairman of ISRO and Secretary in the Department of Space, S. Somanath, addressed the media, explaining that the organization aims to initiate the moon mission on the earliest feasible date, which could be July 12 or 13.

Somanath provided further details about the preparations, noting that the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft has been tested and placed within the rocket's payload fairing or heat shield. The rocket, LVM3, is currently being readied at the Sriharikota rocket port in Andhra Pradesh.

Chandrayaan-3's primary mission objective is to execute a safe lunar landing, after which a rover will be deployed to perform a series of experiments on the moon's surface.

Compared to its predecessor, Chandrayaan-2, modifications have been made to the lander for the upcoming mission. The new version of the lander will operate on four motors rather than five, among other software changes implemented by the space agency.

Although the monikers for the lander and rover remain to be confirmed, the official suggested to IANS that ISRO might retain the names from the previous mission, Vikram and Pragyan.

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