The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday launched an improved version of Chandrayaan-3 for another attempt at a soft landing on the moon’s surface from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
Although this is India’s third tryst with the moon, it is the country’s second attempt to soft-land at the lunar south pole.
If successful, the mission will make India the fourth country to achieve a controlled landing on the moon, after Russia, the United States, and China.
The moon lander Vikram is perched on a Mark 3 heavy-lift launch vehicle — dubbed the Bahubali rocket.
The journey from Earth to the moon for the spacecraft is estimated to take about a month and the landing is expected on August 23. Upon landing, it will operate for one lunar day, which is approximately 14 Earth days.
The latest iteration of the Chandrayaan comes four years after an earlier attempt failed, with the ground crew losing contact moments before landing.
 on Friday launched an improved version of Chandrayaan-3 for another attempt at a soft landing on the moon’s surface from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.){kind=link}