India has made all preparations to join the space race as it is set to launch an uncrewed low-cost moon landing mission Friday — as the world powers are closing the competition gap by offering low-price space flights.
If the mission is successful, the world’s most populous nation will become the fourth country after Russia, the United States and China to achieve a controlled landing on the moon's surface.
The latest iteration of the Chandrayaan ("Mooncraft") programme comes four years after an earlier attempt ended in failure, with the ground crew losing contact moments before landing.
This time around, there is optimism that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will succeed, as it sets its sights on a future manned lunar mission.
"We’re sure this one will be successful and will bring pride and recognition to everybody who has worked for it," Anil G. Verma of Godrej & Boyce, ISRO’s principal engine and components supplier, told AFP.
The 14-day mission comes with a price tag of $74.6 million, according to media reports, and aims to successfully land a rover to explore the lunar surface.
A huge crowd is expected to attend the launch, scheduled for 2:35 pm local time (0905 GMT) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre north of Chennai.
"I am very happy and hopeful," K. Sivan, the ISRO chief during India’s last lunar landing attempt, told AFP.
Expansion of Indian space programme
India’s space programme has grown considerably in size and momentum since it first sent a probe to orbit the moon in 2008.
When is the launch and how can I watch it?
The launch is scheduled for Friday, July 14, at 5:05 a.m. Eastern time (2:35 p.m. local time). The Indian Space Research Organization — India’s equivalent of NASA — will begin broadcasting coverage of the flight on its YouTube channel at 4:30 a.m.
What is Chandrayaan-3?
Chandrayaan means “moon craft” in Hindi. After the rocket carrying Chandrayaan-3 lifts off, a propulsion module will push the spacecraft out of Earth’s orbit and then allow the mission to enter orbit around the moon.
Attached to the module are a lander and a rover that will attempt to set down on the lunar surface in the moon’s south polar region.
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