Chandrayaan-3 from Launch to Landing: Your Guide To India's Moon Mission

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch its third lunar exploration mission, Chandrayaan-3, on Friday at 2:35 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Station in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

The mission is a significant milestone for India, as it will be the country's first attempt to soft-land a spacecraft on the lunar south pole. The south pole is a region of the moon that has not been explored by any other country, and it is believed to be rich in water ice.

Timeline of the Chandryaan-3 mission

• Launch - Chandryaan 3 is scheduled to launch at 2:35pm on Friday. Its launch window however extends till July 19.
• 2xS200 Ignition - Rocket engines ignite at 0 seconds.
• L110 Ignition - L110 engines ignite at 108 seconds.
• 2xS200 Separation - Two side boosters (2xS200) detach at 127 seconds.
• PLF Separation - Payload fairing separates at 195 seconds.
• L110 Separation - L110 engines separate at 306 seconds.
• C25 Ignition - C25 engine ignites at 308 seconds.
• C25 Shut-off - C25 engine shuts down at 954 seconds.
• Satellite Separation - The satellite separates from the rocket at 969 seconds.
• Voyage to the moon - The module will travel for about a month to reach the moon after it is launched.
• Moon landing - The landing is planned for August 23-24, but this could change based on the moon's sunrise. If there's a delay, ISRO will reschedule the landing for September.
• Lander and rover mission life - The lander and rover are designed to function for just one lunar day (14 earth days) because they can't withstand the extreme cold at night. Therefore, they need to land at dawn to maximise their operational time.

Where to watch Chandrayaan-3 launch live?

• You can watch ISRO's moon mission launch live in the YouTube window provided here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2ueCg9bvvQ
• ISRO official website: Visit http://isro.gov.in
• ISRO's Facebook page: https://facebook.com/ISRO