The Chandrayaan-3 mission to the moon is ready for launch, according to Isro Director S Somnath, and will depart from Sriharikota's Satish Dhawan Space Centre between July 12 and July 19. The Isro chief said the precise date for the launch will be announced once all the tests are finished, though some reports said the launch will take place on July 13.
"Currently the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is fully integrated. We have completed the testing. Currently, the window of opportunity for launch is between July 12 to 19. We will announce the exact date after all the tests are completed," said Somnath.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission will launch on the Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle Mark-III, India's heaviest rocket to the Moon. Earlier, Somnath said the period between July 12 to July 19 is optimal for launch when the orbital dynamics will ensure minimal fuel and higher efficiency in the journey to the Moon.
The purpose of Chandrayaan-3 is to develop and demonstrate new technologies necessary for interplanetary missions. It comprises an indigenous Lander Module (LM), a Propulsion Module (PM), and a Rover. This ambitious mission follows the Chandrayaan-2 mission, which crash-landed on the Moon's surface four years ago.
The mission will explore the far side of the Moon and will attempt to soft land on the lunar surface. The primary objective will be to demonstrate soft landing capability on the Moon and make India only the fourth country in the world to have that ability.