Jatan Mehta • Jul 22, 2019
Chandrayaan-2 Launches for the Moon
Chandrayaan-2, India’s first mission to soft-land a spacecraft on the Moon, successfully launched today. Liftoff atop the country’s GSLV Mk III rocket occurred on 22 July at 14:43 IST (09:13 UTC). You can watch a replay of the launch’s live broadcast here.
![Ascent of Chandrayaan-2](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x1200_crop_center-center_82_line/20190722_ch-2-launch.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x768_crop_center-center_60_line/20190722_ch-2-launch.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x576_crop_center-center_60_line/20190722_ch-2-launch.jpg 576w)
A day before launch, India’s space agency ISRO posted on Twitter a picture of the 14-story-high GSLV Mk III rocket at the Second Launch Pad in Sriharikota, India, announcing launch countdown initiation.
#ISROMissions
— ISRO (@isro) July 21, 2019
The launch countdown of #GSLVMkIII-M1/#Chandrayaan2 commenced today at 1843 Hrs IST. The launch is scheduled at 1443 Hrs IST on July 22nd.
More updates to follow... pic.twitter.com/WVghixIca6
On the same island that hosts the launch complex, ISRO invited people to watch from the agency’s newly inaugurated Launch View Gallery. I was present at the gallery to view the launch!
![Crowd at Chandrayaan-2 launch](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x800_crop_center-center_82_line/20190722_launch-view-gallery-AK-2.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x512_crop_center-center_60_line/20190722_launch-view-gallery-AK-2.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x384_crop_center-center_60_line/20190722_launch-view-gallery-AK-2.jpg 576w)
The crowd buzzed with excitement and we heard the rocket as it ascended. The Mk III’s solid boosters separated from the rocket about 2 minutes after launch. The protective fairing surrounding the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, lander and rover trio separated about a minute after that, shortly followed by the liquid-core first stage.
Chandrayaan-2 itself successfully separated from the cryogenic, upper stage of the Mk III 16 minutes after liftoff, as planned. This deployed the craft in its desired elliptical orbit around the Earth: about 170 by 39120 kilometers.
#GSLVMkIII-M1 successfully injects #Chandrayaan2 spacecraft into Earth Orbit
— ISRO (@isro) July 22, 2019
Here's the view of #Chandrayaan2 separation#ISRO pic.twitter.com/GG3oDIxduG
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted a note on the mission’s national significance:
Efforts such as #Chandrayaan2 will further encourage our bright youngsters towards science, top quality research and innovation.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 22, 2019
Thanks to Chandrayaan, India’s Lunar Programme will get a substantial boost. Our existing knowledge of the Moon will be significantly enhanced.
Over the next 23 days, Chandrayaan-2 will perform multiple orbit-raising maneuvers until it enters the Moon’s sphere of gravitational influence. Capture into lunar orbit and detachment of the lander from the orbiter during a subsequent, tighter orbit will follow after that.
Successful execution of the mission-defining autonomous touchdown on the lunar surface—scheduled for 7 September—will be the most challenging part of the mission.
For more coverage, don't miss our Chandrayaan-2 What to Expect article!
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