India successfully launched today July 22, a rocket carrying a spacecraft that will touch down the far side of the moon in 48 days' time. Chandrayaan-2 mission was launched from Dhawan Space Centre which blasted off at 2:43 p.m. local Indian time.
The 142-foot, 700-ton rocket has finally launched after a week long delay due to a rocket glitch, days after NASA celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11.
"My dear friends, today is a historical day for space and science technology in India," said K. Sivan, Chairman of the India Space Research Organisation (ISRO), adding that the GSLV Mk III rocket placed Chandrayaan-2 in a better orbit than expected. "It is the beginning of a historical journey of India towards the moon and to land at the place near the south pole, to carry out scientific experiments, to explore the unexplored."
#ISRO#GSLVMkIII-M1 lifts-off from Sriharikota carrying #Chandrayaan2— ISRO (@isro) July 22, 2019
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If all goes according to plan, the spacecraft will reach lunar orbit on Sept. 6 and then deploy the lander-rover duo down near the moon's south pole.
The mission cost is estimated to be 9.78 billion rupees ($141 million), according to Times of India.
If the mission will goes well, India will become the fourth nation in the world to land on the moon after the United States, Russia and China.
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