India has successfully launched its third Moon mission, Chandrayaan-3, with the goal of landing near the Moon’s south pole.
The spacecraft, consisting of an orbiter, lander, and rover, took off from the Sriharikota space centre.
The lander is expected to reach the Moon between August 23 and 24. If the mission is successful, India will become the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, joining the US, the former Soviet Union, and China.
The launch was witnessed by thousands of people and received enthusiastic applause.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the achievement and described it as a new milestone in India’s space exploration. Chandrayaan-3 follows in the footsteps of India’s earlier successful Moon missions, including Chandrayaan-1 in 2008, which made significant discoveries about lunar water and the Moon’s atmosphere.
