India's third Moon mission commences as Chandrayaan-3 lifts off from Sriharikota

If the mission touches success, then India will become the fourth country  after Russia, the United States, and China to  achieve a controlled landing on the moon.

Chandrayaan 3 aims to reach Moon in 40 days.

It was launched on a Launch Vehicle Mark-3 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

The primary objectives of Chandrayaan-3 are threefold, first, to demonstrate Safe and Soft Landing on the Lunar surface; second, to demonstrate Rover roving on the moon; and third is to conduct in-situ scientific experiments.

Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission of Chandrayaan-2 and is aimed at demonstrating India’s capability in soft landing and roving on the surface of the Moon or the Lunar surface.

Chandrayaan-2 was launched on September 6, 2019, but it could not yield the desired result.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently in France, earlier in the day tweeted to reflect the country's emotion attached to the 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."