India has launched a GSLV Mk III rocket to the moon with the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft and the Pragyan rover, which will land at the end of August

The end of summer could see a historic event for India's space sector. An Indian rover is scheduled to land on the surface of the Moon in the fourth week of August.

Here's What We Know

On 14 July at 06:05 (EDT) or 03:05 (PDT), India launched a GSLV Mk III rocket carrying the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft into space. About 16 minutes after liftoff, it entered orbit around our planet, successfully separating from the carrier.

Within about 5-6 weeks, Chandrayaan-3 will perform several manoeuvres that will put it in orbit around the moon. It is expected that the spacecraft will be able to land on the surface of our planet's natural satellite on 23 or 24 August.

So far, only three countries have been able to do this: The US, China and the Soviet Union. India also tried, but Chandrayaan-2 crashed in 2019. Now, Indian experts are confident of the success of the mission. Moreover, no country has yet managed to land on the south pole of the moon. India could be the first.

The cost of the mission is estimated at about $73 million. Its success will influence what role India will play in the US lunar programme. The Asian country last month joined the multi-billion dollar Artemis project by signing the Artemis Accords along with Ecuador.

Chandrayaan-3 will take the Pragyan rover to the moon. The lunar rover with battery and solar panels will operate for one lunar day, which corresponds to 14 Earth days. The rover's tasks will be to search for ice and analyse lunar rocks.

Source: space