India’s Chandrayaan-3 Moon Landing Mission Set to Launch Written 13 July 2023

SPACE reports that India’s second attempt “at a daring, homegrown moon landing will kick off this week.” The nation’s Chandrayaan-3 mission, whose name means “moon vehicle” in Sanskrit, is “scheduled to launch toward the moon on Friday (July 14) at 5:05 a.m. EDT (0905 GMT, or 2:35 p.m. local time on July 14) from the island of Sriharikota, on India’s east coast.” A three-stage rocket “called the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3) will ferry the robotic moon lander and rover duo that make up the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft into an Earth parking orbit, a stable circular path around Earth that allows the mission team to ensure all instruments are working well post launch.” Soon after, the spacecraft “will be placed on a lunar transfer trajectory, beginning its deep-space journey.”
Full Story (SPACE)