ISRO has announced the successful separation of the Chandrayaan-3 satellite from the launch vehicle. The satellite has now been injected into the desired orbit and begins its journey to the Moon. In about 40 days, the Chandrayaan-3 module will aim to land on the lunar surface to create history. That's all for today!

Chandrayaan-3 mission is successful!

Third stage separation goes on smoothly. Cryo-stage performance is normal.

Chandrayaan-3's stage separation occurs according to plan.

Chandrayaan-3 successfully takes off aboard LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark 3) rocket from Sriharikota, in Andhra Pradesh.

Chandrayaan-3's rover packs two scientific instruments.
One is the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) which can determine the elemental composition of the lunar rocks and soil at the landing site. The other rover payload, called LASER Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS), can provide a qualitative and quantitative elemental analysis of the lunar surface and estimate the chemical composition. The propulsion module on Chandrayaan-3 will also perform investigations via its Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload. SHAPE will collect data based on the polarization of light reflected by Earth which will be used to look for exoplanets that exhibit similar characteristics.

We are exactly five minutes away from the launch of the historic Chandrayaan-3 mission.

Ground teams have given all necessary permissions. Weather conditions are favorable. The launch director authorizes lift-off at 2:35:17pm. Automatic launch sequence to commence at T-14 minutes 30 seconds where the most critical control systems are assessed.

Chandrayaan-3's lander and rover are equipped with scientific instruments for exploring the Moon. The 1,752-kg lander will have four payloads, including an Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) that will scan for moonquakes. It is carrying a payload for NASA, called the LASER Retroreflector Array (LRA) to shed light on the dynamics of the Moon system. The onboard Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) can estimate the temperature of the Moon's surface. The fourth payload, Langmuir Probe can measure the density of plasma (ions and electrons) near the lunar surface and how it changes with time.

Google India has also joined the chorus behind Chandrayaan-3. The tech giant tweeted "Ok Google, set a reminder for 2:35pm"

Chandrayaan-3 consists of a Propulsion Module (PM) and a Lander Module (LM). The latter houses a 26kg rover. All the components sum up to 3,900kg.

The mission will not carry an orbiter. The PM will serve as the communications relay satellite and will rely on Chandrayaan-2's orbiter for backup.

The PM will be responsible for transporting the LM to 100km in the lunar orbit.

In just an hour from now, ISRO will launch the Chandrayaan-3 from Sriharikota, in Andhra Pradesh. The excitement around the historic mission is evident from various hashtags trending on Twitter. #Chandrayaan-3 is the top trend on Twitter in India, along with hashtags such as #ISRO and #WeAreComing.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tweeted regarding Chandrayaan-3 Mission. He said, "14th July 2023 will always be etched in golden letters as far as India’s space sector is concerned. Chandrayaan-3, our third lunar mission, will embark on its journey. This remarkable mission will carry the hopes and dreams of our nation."

After today's launch, Chandrayaan-3 will take about 40 days to soft land on the Moon's surface. The mission sequence includes Earth-centric phase, lunar transfer phase, and Moon-centric phase. The first phase includes operations such as pre-launch, launch and ascent, and other maneuvers. In the second stage, the space vehicle will put the capsule in an elliptical orbit. In the final Moon-centric phase, the propulsion module will take the lander and rover into a circular orbit roughly 100km from the Moon's surface. Then, ISRO will commence the descent procedures wherein the lander module, which also includes the rover, will disengage from the propulsion module and proceed to soft land on the Moon's surface.

The Chandrayaan-3 capsule is equipped with a Propulsion Module (PM) and a lander module. The latter also includes a 26kg rover. The PM will serve as the communications relay satellite for this mission. In comparison to Chandrayaan-2, which failed because of a software glitch, Chandrayaan-3 has received several key improvements. The lander has stronger legs to withstand higher landing velocity, carries more fuel to handle disruptions, and a new laser doppler velocity meter sensor to aid soft landing. It also has four engines instead of five on the Chandrayaan-2 and at least two engines will be fired this time for landing. The software has also been greatly improved to tackle any disruptions.

ISRO's LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark 3) will fly Chandrayaan-3 to outer space and position the capsule in an elliptical orbit. LVM3 is currently the heaviest rocket available in India. The 143-feet-tall three-stage launch vehicle has a total lift-off capacity of 6,40,000kg. It has two solid strap-on motors (S200), one liquid core stage (L110), and a high-thrust cryogenic upper stage (C25). The S200 motor is among the largest solid boosters in the world, with a solid propellent capacity of 204,000kg.

The main objectives of the Chandrayaan-3 mission are: soft landing on the Moon, roving on the lunar surface, and performing various scientific investigations to study the lunar surface.

Following today's launch, Chandrayaan-3 will take roughly 40 days to reach the lunar surface. If things go as per plan, we can expect the mission to 'soft land' on the Moon's south pole around August 24.

As per the latest inputs from Sriharikota, the countdown is progressing at the exact time of lift-off is 14:35:17 hours. The propellant filling in the L110 stage is completed and propellant filling in the C25 stage is underway.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission aims to "soft land" on the Moon, something which its predecessor, the Chandrayaan-2, could not achieve in 2019. The mission is targeting to land on the south pole of the Moon. If India can achieve it, it will become the first country to do so and the fourth after the US, Russia, and China to have a presence on the lunar surface.