Moon News
MOON DAILY
India shoots for the moon with latest rocket launch
India shoots for the moon with latest rocket launch
By Aishwarya KUMAR with Sean GLEESON in New Delhi
Bengaluru, India (AFP) July 12, 2023

India on Friday launches its latest attempt at an unmanned moon landing, the next frontier of a burgeoning, cut-price aerospace programme rapidly closing in on the milestones set by global superpowers.

If successful, the mission would make the world's most populous nation only the fourth country after Russia, the United States and China to achieve a controlled landing on the lunar surface.

The latest iteration of the Chandrayaan ("Mooncraft") programme comes four years after an earlier attempt ended in failure, with 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.

- Expanding 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.

In 2014, it became the first Asian nation to put a satellite into orbit around Mars, and three years later, the ISRO launched 104 satellites in a single mission.

The ISRO's Gaganyaan ("Skycraft") programme is slated to launch a three-day manned mission into Earth's orbit by next year.

India is also working to boost its two percent share of the global commercial space market by sending private payloads into orbit for a fraction of the cost of competitors.

Experts say India can keep costs low by copying and adapting existing space technology, and thanks to an abundance of highly skilled engineers who earn a fraction of their foreign counterparts' wages.

- 'Best is yet to come' -

Chandrayaan-2, its previous attempt at a lunar landing in 2019, cost $140 million -- nearly twice Friday's launch, but a much smaller price tag than similar ventures by other countries.

The mission, which coincided with the 50th anniversary year of Neil Armstrong's first-ever moonwalk, ended in disappointment when the lander went silent just 2.1 kilometres (1.3 miles) from touchdown.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, present at mission control in Bangalore, consoled glum scientists and clasped the ISRO chief in a lengthy hug, saying India was still "proud" of their efforts.

"In our glorious history of thousands of years, we have faced moments that may have slowed us, but they have never crushed our spirit," he said at the time.

"We have bounced back again," he added. "When it comes to our space programme, the best is yet to come."

Related Links
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
MOON DAILY
SwRI delivers plasma spectrometer for Moon mission
San Antonio TX (SPX) Jul 12, 2023
Southwest Research Institute has delivered a plasma spectrometer for integration into a lunar lander as part of NASA's Lunar Vertex investigation, scheduled to commence next year. The target site is the Reiner Gamma region on the Moon's nearside, a mysterious area known to have a local magnetic field. The SwRI-developed Magnetic Anomaly Plasma Spectrometer (MAPS) will study the interaction of the solar wind with surface materials on the Moon, aiming to understand the origin of the sinuous patterns of br ... read more

MOON DAILY
New study reveals evidence of diverse organic material on Mars

Earth and Moon seen from Mars

Planning Take Two: Sols 3885-3886

SHERLOC instrument offers new perspective on Jezero Crater, Mars

MOON DAILY
Studying rivers from worlds away

Saturn's Rings shine in Webb's observations of Gas Giant

Key building block for life found at Saturn's moon Enceladus

New study puts a definitive age on Saturn's rings-they're really young

MOON DAILY
First ultraviolet data collected by ESA's JUICE mission

Unveiling Jupiter's upper atmosphere

ASU study: Jupiter's moon Europa may have had a slow evolution

Juno captures lightning bolts above Jupiter's north pole

MOON DAILY
Euclid's large halo around indefinitely small point

NASA expands options for spacewalking, moonwalking suits, services

Bursting the Bubble with Inflatable Habitats

Axiom Space Awarded Contract to Pursue Spacesuit Development for International Space Station

MOON DAILY
Single-molecule valve: a breakthrough in nanoscale control

MOON DAILY
Rocket Lab readies launch of seven satellites from New Zealand

Rocket Lab to boost Synspective's satellite constellation with more launches

China's methane-fueled rocket achieves global first with successful orbital insertion

NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne put Gateway thruster system to the test

MOON DAILY
China Aerospace Foundation and Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization Sign Cooperation MOU

Tianzhou 5 reconnects with Tiangong space station

China questions whether there is a new moon race afoot

Three Chinese astronauts return safely to Earth

MOON DAILY
New radar technique lets scientists probe invisible ice sheet region on Earth and icy worlds

Uniting Europe: DLR Spearheads Responsive Satellite Deployment Network

DARPA seeks input on novel methods to separate, purify rare earth elements

iQPS initiates a full-scale study to leverage SkyCompass-1 optical data relay service

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.