India Hopes to Boost Its Space Legacy With Latest Moon Rocket Blastoff

The viewer’s gallery of the Satish Dhawan Space Center in India was a noisy place at 4:05 a.m. ET on Friday morning, July 14. Cries of “Bharat Mata ki jai” (Victory to Mother India) filled the hall, as outside, at a distant launchpad, the engines lit on a 14-story rocket carrying Chandrayaan-3, India’s third spacecraft bound for the moon. The rocket flew true, and less than 15 minutes later, Chandrayaan-3—a combination orbiter, lander, and rover—was on its way on a month-plus journey that should have it reach the moon by August 24. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] “Chandrayaan-3 scripts a new chapter in India’s space odyssey,” tweeted Indian President Narendra Modi. “It soars high, elevating the dreams and ambitions of every Indian. This momentous achievement is a testament to our scientists’ relentless dedication. I salute their spirit and ingenuity!” As well he might salute them. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), may not quite rival NASA, Russia’s Roscosmos, or the China National Space Organization for preeminence in the cosmos, but it is coming close. Since its founding in 1969, ISRO has launched 124 of its own spacecraft—including three to the moon and one to Mars; 15 satellites developed by Indian students; and 424 satellites by other countries paying to have their payloads launched atop India’s reliable boosters. But it is the moon and Mars missions that ...
Source: TIME: Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Uncategorized healthscienceclimate Space Source Type: news