<p>India's lunar spacecraft Chandrayaan-3, which commenced its journey at 2.35 pm (local time) on Friday, is expected to cover the 3,84,000 kilometres from Earth to Moon in about 40 days and&nbsp;make a soft landing at 5.47 pm&nbsp;(Indian time) on August 23.</p>

<p>In his post-launch media interaction, ISRO Chairman, Dr S Somanath revealed the date and time, referring to it as the targeted landing time, if all went well. With a mission life of one lunar day (14 Earth days), Chandrayaan-3 is meant to land near the lunar south pole (approximately at 80 degrees latitude).</p>

<p>It is imperative for the mission's 'Vikram' lander to touch down on the lunar surface at the start of the lunar day in order to make use of available sunlight (using solar panels and batteries) and operate its science payloads, sensors, gather data and communicate it back to Earth.</p>

<p>ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 is meant to land a few hundred kilometres away from the Moon’s south pole—a region that has largely remained unexplored, owing to the near-nil sunlight illumination there.</p>

<p>It is believed that many mysteries of the Moon could be unravelled by performing in-situ probing of this region.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In case things don’t go as planned and there is a delay in the landing, ISRO also has the option of allowing the spacecraft to circle the Moon and carry out the landing at the break of the following lunar dawn (which could be almost a month after the intended landing date of August 23).</p>

<h2><strong>Chandrayaan 3 successfully launched to the moon | ISRO | Sriharikota</strong></h2>

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<p>Lunar landing is a complex process and poses various challenges — the gravity on the Moon is 1/6th that of Earth, therefore an object that weights 60kg on Earth would weigh only 10kg.</p>

<p>The lunar landing has to be done based on the on-board programming and decision-making of the spacecraft, as it would not be possible to communicate the decisions from Earth in real-time. The uneven terrain on the lunar surface, the presence of rocks, mountains, boulders etc. pose challenges for smooth landings.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, learning various lessons from ISRO's Chandrayan-2, which was unable to make soft lunar landing, ISRO carried out hundreds of tests on its Chandrayaan-3 lander and ensured that it is ruggedised, made more robust, and failure-tolerant.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/indias-chandrayaan-3-is-now-in-space-historic-journey-to-moon-begins-615577">India's Chandrayaan-3 is now in space, historic journey to Moon begins</a></p>

<p>"We have ensured that the four landing legs can withstand landing impacts of up to 3 metres/second, instead of&nbsp;the five engine configuration on Chandrayaan-2, we've used four engines on Chandrayaan-3, while the previous lander utilised only a single engine for soft-landing, this mission will utilise two engines" M Sanakaran, the Director of ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre had explained to WION.&nbsp;</p>

<p>ISRO has also made several modifications on the software, hardware and sensors to ensure that Chandrayaan-3 can execute the lunar landing and make history for India.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/chandrayaan-3-scripts-new-chapter-pm-modi-about-successful-launch-of-indias-third-lunar-mission-615607">PM Modi about successful launch of India’s third lunar mission</a></p>

<p>So far, only the US, Russia and China have soft-landed their crafts on the Moon and America has even performed multiple manned lunar missions and will be reviving its manned programme by putting astronauts back on the Moon, as part of the Artemis Programme.</p>

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India's lunar spacecraft Chandrayaan-3, which commenced its journey at 2.35 pm (local time) on Friday, is expected to cover the 3,84,000 kilometres from Earth to Moon in about 40 days and make a soft landing at 5.

India's lunar spacecraft Chandrayaan-3, which commenced its journey at 2.35 pm (local time) on Friday, is expected to cover the 3,84,000 kilometres from Earth to Moon in about 40 days and make a soft landing at 5.47 pm (Indian time) on August 23. In his post-launch media interaction, ISRO Chairman, Dr S Somanath revealed the date and time, referring to it as the targeted landing time, if all went well. With a mission life of one lunar day (14 Earth days), Chandrayaan-3 is meant to land near the lunar south pole (approximately at 80 degrees latitude). It is imperative for the mission's 'Vikram' lander to touch down on the lunar surface at the start of the lunar day in order to make use of available sunlight (using solar panels and batteries) and operate its science payloads, sensors, gather data and communicate it back to Earth. ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 is meant to land a few hundred kilometres away from the Moon’s south pole—a region that has largely remained unexplored, owing to the near-nil sunlight illumination there. It is believed that many mysteries of the Moon could be unravelled by performing in-situ probing of this region. In case things don’t go as planned and there is a delay in the landing, ISRO also has the option of allowing the spacecraft to circle the Moon and carry out the landing at the break of the following lunar dawn (which could be almost a month after the intended landing date of August 23). Chandrayaan 3 successfully launched to the moon | ISRO | Sriharikota Lunar landing is a complex process and poses various challenges — the gravity on the Moon is 1/6th that of Earth, therefore an object that weights 60kg on Earth would weigh only 10kg. The lunar landing has to be done based on the on-board programming and decision-making of the spacecraft, as it would not be possible to communicate the decisions from Earth in real-time. The uneven terrain on the lunar surface, the presence of rocks, mountains, boulders etc. pose challenges for smooth landings. However, learning various lessons from ISRO's Chandrayan-2, which was unable to make soft lunar landing, ISRO carried out hundreds of tests on its Chandrayaan-3 lander and ensured that it is ruggedised, made more robust, and failure-tolerant. Also read | India's Chandrayaan-3 is now in space, historic journey to Moon begins "We have ensured that the four landing legs can withstand landing impacts of up to 3 metres/second, instead of the five engine configuration on Chandrayaan-2, we've used four engines on Chandrayaan-3, while the previous lander utilised only a single engine for soft-landing, this mission will utilise two engines" M Sanakaran, the Director of ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre had explained to WION. ISRO has also made several modifications on the software, hardware and sensors to ensure that Chandrayaan-3 can execute the lunar landing and make history for India. Also read | PM Modi about successful launch of India’s third lunar mission So far, only the US, Russia and China have soft-landed their crafts on the Moon and America has even performed multiple manned lunar missions and will be reviving its manned programme by putting astronauts back on the Moon, as part of the Artemis Programme. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

India's Chandrayaan-3 to make lunar landing on August 23. Here’s what will happen next

<p>All eyes are on the 642-tonne LVM3 rocket that stands 44 metres tall at the 2nd Launchpad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), India's spaceport. As the rocket stands ready for launch at 2:35pm local time on Friday (July 14), a different kind of launch took place at 6:30pm, July 13.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It's the launch of a new book. Written by Indian national award-winning filmmaker Vinod Mankara, the book titled <em>Prism</em> is a compilation of 50 articles on various scientific subjects, that are presented in a simple and reader-friendly manner.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The book launch was done in the presence of ISRO Chairman Dr S Somanath, director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Dr Unnikrishnan Nair, former ISRO Chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan, among others. Dr Somanath and Dr Nair have also contributed their writings for the preface and foreword of the book.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Written in Malayalam, the book has articles that span across scientific domains including space, astronomy, anthropology, mathematics, biology, the space journey of Laika the dog etc.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the author, the book presents science in a poetic and aesthetic manner. It is aimed at bringing people closer to science and helping them appreciate the intricacies involved, thereby creating more awareness and interest.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch this report:&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<p>The tagline of the book reads 'Prism: The Ancestral Abode of Rainbow'.</p>

<p>Among other subjects, it has articles on the James Webb Space telescope, black holes, latest Nobel-winning discoveries in medicine, and physics.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Manakara is also the Director of what is regarded as the world's first science film made in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. Titled <em>Yaanam</em>, the film captures the story behind how Indian scientists executed the Mangalyaan or Mars Orbiter Mission successfully at a low cost. It captures the contributions of the core team of the Mars orbiter mission.&nbsp;</p>

<p>At present, Vinod Mankara is also working on ISRO documentaries focused on the Chandrayaan Lunar mission and the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, the mother centre of ISRO and the lead facility for developing rockets, space transportation systems.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to Mankara, this book is a tribute to his science teacher from class five, Perur Gopalakrishnan. "This book is full of scientific wonders!" Chairman, ISRO, Dr. S.Somanath writes in the foreword.&nbsp;</p>

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All eyes are on the 642-tonne LVM3 rocket that stands 44 metres tall at the 2nd Launchpad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), India's spaceport. As the rocket stands ready for launch at 2:35pm local time on Friday (July 14), a different kind of launch took place at 6:30pm, July 13.

All eyes are on the 642-tonne LVM3 rocket that stands 44 metres tall at the 2nd Launchpad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), India's spaceport. As the rocket stands ready for launch at 2:35pm local time on Friday (July 14), a different kind of launch took place at 6:30pm, July 13. It's the launch of a new book. Written by Indian national award-winning filmmaker Vinod Mankara, the book titled Prism is a compilation of 50 articles on various scientific subjects, that are presented in a simple and reader-friendly manner. The book launch was done in the presence of ISRO Chairman Dr S Somanath, director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Dr Unnikrishnan Nair, former ISRO Chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan, among others. Dr Somanath and Dr Nair have also contributed their writings for the preface and foreword of the book. Written in Malayalam, the book has articles that span across scientific domains including space, astronomy, anthropology, mathematics, biology, the space journey of Laika the dog etc. According to the author, the book presents science in a poetic and aesthetic manner. It is aimed at bringing people closer to science and helping them appreciate the intricacies involved, thereby creating more awareness and interest. Watch this report: × The tagline of the book reads 'Prism: The Ancestral Abode of Rainbow'. Among other subjects, it has articles on the James Webb Space telescope, black holes, latest Nobel-winning discoveries in medicine, and physics. Manakara is also the Director of what is regarded as the world's first science film made in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. Titled Yaanam, the film captures the story behind how Indian scientists executed the Mangalyaan or Mars Orbiter Mission successfully at a low cost. It captures the contributions of the core team of the Mars orbiter mission. At present, Vinod Mankara is also working on ISRO documentaries focused on the Chandrayaan Lunar mission and the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, the mother centre of ISRO and the lead facility for developing rockets, space transportation systems. According to Mankara, this book is a tribute to his science teacher from class five, Perur Gopalakrishnan. "This book is full of scientific wonders!" Chairman, ISRO, Dr. S.Somanath writes in the foreword. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

On eve of Chandrayaan-3 launch, ISRO's unique 'launch' at spaceport

<p>Three out of four Indian rockets that are operational today are powered by an Indo-French rocket engine known as the Vikas engine, which is based on the French Viking engine. This engine, powered by hypergolic fuels (fuels that burn on coming in contact with each other) forms the core stage of India's PSLV, GSLV and LVM3 rockets.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Developed in the 1970s by an Indo-French team of scientists and engineers, this engine continues to power India's rockets, 30 years after it first flew.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on an official visit to France as the Guest of Honour for the French National Day (Bastille Day), this is seen as an opportunity to reinforce the close space sector ties between the two nations, Jean-Marc Astorg, Director of Strategy at the French Space Agency Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES) told WION.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We could start cooperation on rockets, on new engines for future rockets... In Europe, we operate Ariane-6 and Vega-C, whereas India operates the PSLV, GSLV and SSLV. Looking at the future, it is all about re-usability in rockets. We(ISRO-CNES) can work together on re-usability, new engines, new propulsion systems," Astorg told WION.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He reasoned that both India and France could jointly develop such new technologies and thereby share the cost burden, which is typically exorbitant. He envisions that such new technologies that are jointly developed can be put to use in both India and France.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch this report:&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<p>ISRO and the European Space Agency already have been using each other's rockets for launching certain crucial missions. Whenever ISRO plans to launch a satellite that weighs more than 4 tonnes into Geostationary orbits, the most reliable option for ISRO has been to launch on the European Space Agency's Ariane-5 rocket.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Operated by the French firm Arianespace, for the European Space Agency, the Ariane 5 rocket has been developed by CNES. Likewise, when smaller Indo-French collaborative satellites are launched, they are lofted into space by Indian PSLV rockets. Examples of such missions are the Megha-Tropiques satellite, SARAL (Satellite with Argos and Altika), etc.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The French space agency CNES will also be supporting ISRO in its endeavour to fly Indian astronauts to space, a mission dubbed as 'Gaganyaan'. Tapping into its legacy and experience of performing astronaut missions for more than three decades, the French Government-run space agency would be offering guidance to Indian astronauts.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We are very impressed India's Gaganyaan project. What India is doing to man-rate the LVM3 rocket, develop the space capsule, escape system etc is very impressive. We are a small part of this. We are sharing our expertise on the space medicine aspect. Astronauts have a medical training; we have a long experience in that as we did our first manned space flight in 1992," Astorg told WION.&nbsp;</p>

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Three out of four Indian rockets that are operational today are powered by an Indo-French rocket engine known as the Vikas engine, which is based on the French Viking engine.

Three out of four Indian rockets that are operational today are powered by an Indo-French rocket engine known as the Vikas engine, which is based on the French Viking engine. This engine, powered by hypergolic fuels (fuels that burn on coming in contact with each other) forms the core stage of India's PSLV, GSLV and LVM3 rockets. Developed in the 1970s by an Indo-French team of scientists and engineers, this engine continues to power India's rockets, 30 years after it first flew. As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on an official visit to France as the Guest of Honour for the French National Day (Bastille Day), this is seen as an opportunity to reinforce the close space sector ties between the two nations, Jean-Marc Astorg, Director of Strategy at the French Space Agency Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES) told WION. "We could start cooperation on rockets, on new engines for future rockets... In Europe, we operate Ariane-6 and Vega-C, whereas India operates the PSLV, GSLV and SSLV. Looking at the future, it is all about re-usability in rockets. We(ISRO-CNES) can work together on re-usability, new engines, new propulsion systems," Astorg told WION. He reasoned that both India and France could jointly develop such new technologies and thereby share the cost burden, which is typically exorbitant. He envisions that such new technologies that are jointly developed can be put to use in both India and France. Watch this report: × ISRO and the European Space Agency already have been using each other's rockets for launching certain crucial missions. Whenever ISRO plans to launch a satellite that weighs more than 4 tonnes into Geostationary orbits, the most reliable option for ISRO has been to launch on the European Space Agency's Ariane-5 rocket. Operated by the French firm Arianespace, for the European Space Agency, the Ariane 5 rocket has been developed by CNES. Likewise, when smaller Indo-French collaborative satellites are launched, they are lofted into space by Indian PSLV rockets. Examples of such missions are the Megha-Tropiques satellite, SARAL (Satellite with Argos and Altika), etc. The French space agency CNES will also be supporting ISRO in its endeavour to fly Indian astronauts to space, a mission dubbed as 'Gaganyaan'. Tapping into its legacy and experience of performing astronaut missions for more than three decades, the French Government-run space agency would be offering guidance to Indian astronauts. "We are very impressed India's Gaganyaan project. What India is doing to man-rate the LVM3 rocket, develop the space capsule, escape system etc is very impressive. We are a small part of this. We are sharing our expertise on the space medicine aspect. Astronauts have a medical training; we have a long experience in that as we did our first manned space flight in 1992," Astorg told WION. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

India, France could collaborate on making rocket engines, re-usable rockets: Director CNES to WION

<p>India's largest and heaviest rocket, the 642-tonne LVM3 lifted off majestically amid overcast skies at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Propelled by 410 tonnes of solid fuel (stored in twin S200 solid boosters), the vehicle took to the skies from the second launchpad and emitted its characteristic engine roar, which was heard in at least a seven-kilometre radius around the launch pad. The LVM3 rocket, which has delivered success in all its missions to date, delivered yet another success by ejecting the Lunar spacecraft into the precise orbit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The rocket is carrying a 3.9 tonne Lunar spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 to an orbit around the Earth, which measures 170x36,500. This means that the spacecraft is not in an even circular orbit around the Earth. This is a highly-elliptical orbit, where the spacecraft is 170km&nbsp;above the earth at its closest approach (perigee) and 36,500km&nbsp;above the earth at its farthest approach (apogee).&nbsp;</p>

<p>From this orbit, in a series of orbit-raising manoeuvres, the craft will gradually be flung away from Earth and from the Earth's influence. In a few weeks, it would be captured by the moon's gravity and then attempt to make a lunar soft landing around August 23. The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft comprises a propulsion module (meant to take the spacecraft into lunar orbit), a Lunar lander named 'Vikram' and a Lunar rover named 'Pragyan'.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The goal is to make a lunar soft landing near the moon's 80 degree latitude (roughly 600 km&nbsp;away from the Lunar south pole) on August 23, which marks the start of the Lunar Day and then conduct in-situ experiments using the lander and rover. The in-situ experiments will include the detection of moon quakes, studies of the Lunar atmosphere, and studies of the mineral composition of Lunar rocks and soil, among others.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Chandrayaan 3 successfully launched to the moon | ISRO | Sriharikota</strong></h2>

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<p>The landing is meant to happen at the start of the Lunar Day, as that will be the period when sunlight is available in the region. Sunlight is crucial to charge the solar panels and batteries on board the lander and rover and help them perform their respective roles.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One lunar day is equal to 14-15 days on Earth. Under ideal conditions, the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover are meant to function for 1 Lunar day. However, ISRO also believes that the rover and lander could survive the Lunar night and revive its activity, once the sun is up.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/chandrayaan-3-scripts-new-chapter-pm-modi-about-successful-launch-of-indias-third-lunar-mission-615607">PM Modi about successful launch of India’s third lunar mission</a></p>

<p>India's maiden lunar soft landing attempt and second Lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 crash-landed on the moon, in September 2019. Chandrayaan-3 is a mission that hopes to perform what its predecessor couldn't. It must be remembered that the Indian space agency ISRO was formally established in 1969, the same year when NASA's Apollo 11 crew performed the moon landing and moonwalk. ISRO's nascent days saw a humble beginning from a fishing hamlet in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, southern India.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-indias-chandrayaan-3-makes-majestic-lift-off-from-sriharikota-615537">Watch | India's Chandrayaan-3 makes majestic lift-off from Sriharikota</a></p>

<p>Today, ISRO operates more than 50 spacecraft for its national and strategic purposes. ISRO also supports India's neighbouring nations with developing space capability and harnessing its benefits. India is among the few nations in the world with end-to-end space capability - the means to design, develop, build and launch its own rockets and satellites, the capability to guide and communicate with the spacecraft, receive and process their data for useful purposes. India carried out its maiden Lunar orbiting mission Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 and its maiden Mars orbiting mission in 2013.&nbsp;</p>

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India's largest and heaviest rocket, the 642-tonne LVM3 lifted off majestically amid overcast skies at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

India's largest and heaviest rocket, the 642-tonne LVM3 lifted off majestically amid overcast skies at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Propelled by 410 tonnes of solid fuel (stored in twin S200 solid boosters), the vehicle took to the skies from the second launchpad and emitted its characteristic engine roar, which was heard in at least a seven-kilometre radius around the launch pad. The LVM3 rocket, which has delivered success in all its missions to date, delivered yet another success by ejecting the Lunar spacecraft into the precise orbit. The rocket is carrying a 3.9 tonne Lunar spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 to an orbit around the Earth, which measures 170x36,500. This means that the spacecraft is not in an even circular orbit around the Earth. This is a highly-elliptical orbit, where the spacecraft is 170km above the earth at its closest approach (perigee) and 36,500km above the earth at its farthest approach (apogee). From this orbit, in a series of orbit-raising manoeuvres, the craft will gradually be flung away from Earth and from the Earth's influence. In a few weeks, it would be captured by the moon's gravity and then attempt to make a lunar soft landing around August 23. The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft comprises a propulsion module (meant to take the spacecraft into lunar orbit), a Lunar lander named 'Vikram' and a Lunar rover named 'Pragyan'. The goal is to make a lunar soft landing near the moon's 80 degree latitude (roughly 600 km away from the Lunar south pole) on August 23, which marks the start of the Lunar Day and then conduct in-situ experiments using the lander and rover. The in-situ experiments will include the detection of moon quakes, studies of the Lunar atmosphere, and studies of the mineral composition of Lunar rocks and soil, among others. Chandrayaan 3 successfully launched to the moon | ISRO | Sriharikota The landing is meant to happen at the start of the Lunar Day, as that will be the period when sunlight is available in the region. Sunlight is crucial to charge the solar panels and batteries on board the lander and rover and help them perform their respective roles. One lunar day is equal to 14-15 days on Earth. Under ideal conditions, the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover are meant to function for 1 Lunar day. However, ISRO also believes that the rover and lander could survive the Lunar night and revive its activity, once the sun is up. Also read | PM Modi about successful launch of India’s third lunar mission India's maiden lunar soft landing attempt and second Lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 crash-landed on the moon, in September 2019. Chandrayaan-3 is a mission that hopes to perform what its predecessor couldn't. It must be remembered that the Indian space agency ISRO was formally established in 1969, the same year when NASA's Apollo 11 crew performed the moon landing and moonwalk. ISRO's nascent days saw a humble beginning from a fishing hamlet in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, southern India. Also read | Watch | India's Chandrayaan-3 makes majestic lift-off from Sriharikota Today, ISRO operates more than 50 spacecraft for its national and strategic purposes. ISRO also supports India's neighbouring nations with developing space capability and harnessing its benefits. India is among the few nations in the world with end-to-end space capability - the means to design, develop, build and launch its own rockets and satellites, the capability to guide and communicate with the spacecraft, receive and process their data for useful purposes. India carried out its maiden Lunar orbiting mission Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 and its maiden Mars orbiting mission in 2013. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

India's Chandrayaan-3 is now in space, historic journey to Moon begins

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<p>The Chairman of the Indian space agency has confirmed that the Chandrayaan-3 launch would happen as planned at 2:35pm, Friday, 14th July, from the Indian spaceport at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. Chairman Somanath and the top officials of ISRO have been reviewing the launch preparation activities from the spaceport, since Wednesday. He made the announcement while speaking to the media at the Changalamman Devi temple near the spaceport, where he offered prayers ahead of the launch. The countdown for the high-profile launch mission commenced at 1:00pm IST on Thursday.</p>

<p>On Thursday noon, Somanath and officials from the spaceport presented holy offerings at the temple and offered prayers. "The Chandrayaan-3 launch is at 2:35pm tomorrow, our strong and big rocket LVM3 will launch this mission. Tomorrow, Chandrayaan-3 will start its long journey and orbit the Earth, thereafter it will slowly travel to the moon over the next 30 days. If all goes well, we are looking at a Lunar soft-landing around 23rd August or in the following days" he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch this report:&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<p>Speaking about the Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2 missions, he said that the maiden Indian moon mission had lived for more than six months and found the presence of water on the moon, whereas the Chandrayaan-2 mission found water (in liquid state) on the moon and even confirmed it. He said that each of the previous missions was successful in its own way.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I need the blessings of Changalamma Devi (the temple's presiding deity), so I came here for praying for the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission" he said.</p>

<p>Earlier in the day, a team of officials from the ISRO headquarters had offered prayers at the revered Venkateshwara Swami temple (commonly known as Tirupati temple) at Tirumala. While executing important missions space agencies and their teams follow a lucky charm or a tradition that is inspired by their respective cultures. For example, ahead of a mission, NASA-JPL teams exchange jars of 'lucky peanuts' and consume them during the mission.</p>

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The Chairman of the Indian space agency has confirmed that the Chandrayaan-3 launch would happen as planned at 2:35pm, Friday, 14th July, from the Indian spaceport at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

The Chairman of the Indian space agency has confirmed that the Chandrayaan-3 launch would happen as planned at 2:35pm, Friday, 14th July, from the Indian spaceport at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. Chairman Somanath and the top officials of ISRO have been reviewing the launch preparation activities from the spaceport, since Wednesday. He made the announcement while speaking to the media at the Changalamman Devi temple near the spaceport, where he offered prayers ahead of the launch. The countdown for the high-profile launch mission commenced at 1:00pm IST on Thursday. On Thursday noon, Somanath and officials from the spaceport presented holy offerings at the temple and offered prayers. "The Chandrayaan-3 launch is at 2:35pm tomorrow, our strong and big rocket LVM3 will launch this mission. Tomorrow, Chandrayaan-3 will start its long journey and orbit the Earth, thereafter it will slowly travel to the moon over the next 30 days. If all goes well, we are looking at a Lunar soft-landing around 23rd August or in the following days" he said. Watch this report: × Speaking about the Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2 missions, he said that the maiden Indian moon mission had lived for more than six months and found the presence of water on the moon, whereas the Chandrayaan-2 mission found water (in liquid state) on the moon and even confirmed it. He said that each of the previous missions was successful in its own way. "I need the blessings of Changalamma Devi (the temple's presiding deity), so I came here for praying for the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission" he said. Earlier in the day, a team of officials from the ISRO headquarters had offered prayers at the revered Venkateshwara Swami temple (commonly known as Tirupati temple) at Tirumala. While executing important missions space agencies and their teams follow a lucky charm or a tradition that is inspired by their respective cultures. For example, ahead of a mission, NASA-JPL teams exchange jars of 'lucky peanuts' and consume them during the mission. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Chandrayaan-3 launch: ISRO chief says if all goes well, lunar landing on August 23

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<p>The Master Shipyard Repair Agreement (MSRA) between the US Navy's 7th Fleet and the Larsen &amp; Toubro Shipyard Kattupalli, near the Southern Indian city of Chennai, allows the repair and refit of US Navy Warships here. However, there are no plans to conduct repairs of US Navy Warships at this Indian facility, said Capt. Michael L Farmer from the Office of Defense Cooperation, US Embassy, New Delhi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He was responding to WION's question regarding the possibility of US warships undergoing repairs at the Kattupalli shipyard, where three US Naval Ships (part of the Marine Sealift Command) have already visited for repairs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In August 2022, dry cargo vessel USNS Charles Drew had sailed into Kattupalli, making it the first American Navy vessel to undergo repairs and refit at an Indian shipyard. In March 2023, USNS Matthew Perry a similar dry cargo vessel had come in for repairs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Monday, 10th July, USNS Salvor, a salvage and rescue ship became the third US Naval vessel to undergo repairs in Kattupalli. However, the USNS Salvor is the first to undergo repairs under the new MSRA between the US Navy's 7th fleet and L&amp;T Kattupalli.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">USNS Salvor is the third <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/american?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#american</a> Naval ship to visit L&amp;T Kattupalli shipyard <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/chennai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#chennai</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tamilnadu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tamilnadu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/india?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#india</a>, in the last 11months<br />
<br />
This is a 78m Safeguard class salvage &amp; rescue ship..<br />
<br />
Earlier, dry cargo ships Charles Drew &amp; Matthew Perry had come in for repairs&amp; refit <a href="https://t.co/GtTfjOxktK">pic.twitter.com/GtTfjOxktK</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1678268886154887168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>A 78-m long vessel, the USNS Salvor is a Safeguard-class rescue and salvage ship that can carry out towing operations, firefighting, provide support to other ships at sea, support diving operations, explosives and ordnance disposal etc. This ship sailed into Kattupalli, after completing a joint exercise with the Indian Navy's INS Nireekshak in Kochi, Kerala on India's Western Coast.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The US Navy has reached a five-year Master Shipyard Repair Agreement(MSRA) with Larsen&amp; Toubro here in Kattupalli. A landmark development and the first such agreement in India, the MSRA is a symbol of our strengthened US-India partnership. The USNS Salvor marks the first US vessel to conduct a mid-voyage repair at L&amp;T under this agreement," said Judith Ravin, US Consul General, Chennai.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The MSRA is a legally non-binding arrangement between the US Navy and private shipbuilding contractors to pre-approve shipyards to repair US Naval vessels, she added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Queried about whether the US Navy was also scouting for similar ship repair facilities in Goa and Mumbai, on India's Western seaboard, Capt Farmer told WION that "the US Navy is open to different shipyards and in future, there could be additional MSRA agreements".&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, he added that this MSRA was not about offering bases for US Navy ships in India. "This is just an enabling agreement, which allows a company(in this case L&amp;T) access to US Navy's contracting system to bid on projects that are available. This is in no way a basing agreement," he told WION.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Singapore and Japan serve as major ship repair facilities for the US Navy in the Indo-Pacific and Indian shipyards getting added to the list would mean that US ships at sea can undertake repairs at very short notice, thus enabling their longer availability for mission deployments.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, the MSRA is not a guarantee that a certain fixed number of ships would visit and undergo repairs at a given point in time, it is merely an agreement that enables such visits. Given the crucial location of Chennai in the Indian Eastern seaboard, the Kattupalli yard offers a convenient stopover for transiting ships that wish to undergo maintenance.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"In the future if the Indian and US Governments agree, the US Navy warships could come for repairs. For instance, a good number of US Navy ships use the General Electric Marine LM-2500 engines, which is also used by the Indian Aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, therefore there is quite a bit of experience and knowledge here in handing and repairing them. For the time being, only the Military Sealift Command ships(that go with the prefix USNS) would be visiting for repairs," Capt Farmer added.&nbsp;</p>

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The Master Shipyard Repair Agreement (MSRA) between the US Navy's 7th Fleet and the Larsen & Toubro Shipyard Kattupalli, near the Southern Indian city of Chennai, allows the repair and refit of US Navy Warships here.

The Master Shipyard Repair Agreement (MSRA) between the US Navy's 7th Fleet and the Larsen & Toubro Shipyard Kattupalli, near the Southern Indian city of Chennai, allows the repair and refit of US Navy Warships here. However, there are no plans to conduct repairs of US Navy Warships at this Indian facility, said Capt. Michael L Farmer from the Office of Defense Cooperation, US Embassy, New Delhi. He was responding to WION's question regarding the possibility of US warships undergoing repairs at the Kattupalli shipyard, where three US Naval Ships (part of the Marine Sealift Command) have already visited for repairs. In August 2022, dry cargo vessel USNS Charles Drew had sailed into Kattupalli, making it the first American Navy vessel to undergo repairs and refit at an Indian shipyard. In March 2023, USNS Matthew Perry a similar dry cargo vessel had come in for repairs. On Monday, 10th July, USNS Salvor, a salvage and rescue ship became the third US Naval vessel to undergo repairs in Kattupalli. However, the USNS Salvor is the first to undergo repairs under the new MSRA between the US Navy's 7th fleet and L&T Kattupalli. USNS Salvor is the third #american Naval ship to visit L&T Kattupalli shipyard #chennai #tamilnadu #india, in the last 11months This is a 78m Safeguard class salvage & rescue ship.. Earlier, dry cargo ships Charles Drew & Matthew Perry had come in for repairs& refit pic.twitter.com/GtTfjOxktK — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) July 10, 2023 × A 78-m long vessel, the USNS Salvor is a Safeguard-class rescue and salvage ship that can carry out towing operations, firefighting, provide support to other ships at sea, support diving operations, explosives and ordnance disposal etc. This ship sailed into Kattupalli, after completing a joint exercise with the Indian Navy's INS Nireekshak in Kochi, Kerala on India's Western Coast. "The US Navy has reached a five-year Master Shipyard Repair Agreement(MSRA) with Larsen& Toubro here in Kattupalli. A landmark development and the first such agreement in India, the MSRA is a symbol of our strengthened US-India partnership. The USNS Salvor marks the first US vessel to conduct a mid-voyage repair at L&T under this agreement," said Judith Ravin, US Consul General, Chennai. The MSRA is a legally non-binding arrangement between the US Navy and private shipbuilding contractors to pre-approve shipyards to repair US Naval vessels, she added. Queried about whether the US Navy was also scouting for similar ship repair facilities in Goa and Mumbai, on India's Western seaboard, Capt Farmer told WION that "the US Navy is open to different shipyards and in future, there could be additional MSRA agreements". However, he added that this MSRA was not about offering bases for US Navy ships in India. "This is just an enabling agreement, which allows a company(in this case L&T) access to US Navy's contracting system to bid on projects that are available. This is in no way a basing agreement," he told WION. Singapore and Japan serve as major ship repair facilities for the US Navy in the Indo-Pacific and Indian shipyards getting added to the list would mean that US ships at sea can undertake repairs at very short notice, thus enabling their longer availability for mission deployments. However, the MSRA is not a guarantee that a certain fixed number of ships would visit and undergo repairs at a given point in time, it is merely an agreement that enables such visits. Given the crucial location of Chennai in the Indian Eastern seaboard, the Kattupalli yard offers a convenient stopover for transiting ships that wish to undergo maintenance. "In the future if the Indian and US Governments agree, the US Navy warships could come for repairs. For instance, a good number of US Navy ships use the General Electric Marine LM-2500 engines, which is also used by the Indian Aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, therefore there is quite a bit of experience and knowledge here in handing and repairing them. For the time being, only the Military Sealift Command ships(that go with the prefix USNS) would be visiting for repairs," Capt Farmer added. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

This Indian city will be hub for repair of US Navy ships, more cities to follow

<p>Imagine firing a laser on the Lunar dust/small rocks (known as regolith), vaporising them and then studying the vapours to understand the chemical composition of the lunar surface. This would help identify the rare and otherwise unknown elements that exist on the Moon's surface and possibly help trace how it came to be. Sounds like science fiction? No, this isn't. India's 'Pragyaan' lunar rover will be performing this spectroscopy experiment, among a host of other experiments, when it rolls on the lunar surface during its planned 14-day mission there.</p>

<p>ISRO Chairman Dr&nbsp;S Somanath shared details regarding Chandrayaan-3&nbsp;on the sidelines of a media interaction during the G20 Space Economy Leaders Meeting in Bengaluru.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Thursday evening, ISRO officially announced that India's third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 would be launched at 14.35 hours (local time) on Friday, July 14. The 3,84,000-kilometre&nbsp;journey towards a lunar soft landing is expected to take around six weeks for the 3,900kg or 3.9-tonne lunar spacecraft. ISRO is targeting a lunar soft landing on either August 23 or 24. Landing dates are determined based on the availability of sunlight at the particular landing spot. Sunlight is essential for the lunar lander and rover to utilise their solar panels and generate power, and thereafter perform their scientific tasks.</p>

<p>ISRO has designed the Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover to function for a duration of 14 earth days (which would be the approximate length of a Lunar Day). After that it would be a period of 14 earth days of darkness at the landing site, hence the rover and lander will not be able to recharge their batteries during that lunar night, when temperatures could be as low as -180 degrees Celcius. However, ISRO says they have tested their lander and rover for extreme conditions and expressed hope that they could "come back to life" once sunlight is again available to them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The rover will be moving only within a limited range that is within the sight of the lander's cameras. All data collected by the rover will be transmitted first to the rover and then to the orbiter and then back to Earth. So, after the lunar night both the lander and rover must work, for our mission life to get extended. If both our lander and rover are working after surviving the lunar night, then we will use them for further experiments' Dr&nbsp;Somanath responded to WION's question on the mission life.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Chandrayaan-3 is India's third lunar mission&nbsp;</strong></h2>

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<p>India is undertaking its third lunar mission and second lunar landing attempt, after the previous mission Chandrayaan-2 could not perform the soft landing. When it was barely two kilometres above the lunar surface, while approaching for a vertical landing, ISRO lost contact with the then 'Vikram' lunar lander.</p>

<p>The lander made a hard landing on&nbsp;the lunar surface, which it did not survive, thus leaving the lunar landing mission incomplete. However, the orbiter from Chandrayaan-2 continues to circle the Moon and provides scientific data from its payloads. Therefore, Chandrayaan-3 will not be having an orbiter that is mounted with multiple science payloads. Instead, it will serve as a propulsion module that will help the integrated spacecraft reach the lunar orbit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While the Chandrayaan-3 orbiter weighs lesser than its predecessor, the integrated spacecraft (orbiter, lander, rover) weighs 3.9 tonnes or 3,900 kgs, which is approximately 300 kgs more than the integrated Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft. However, the payload mass reduced from the orbiter has been added to the Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander.</p>

<p>"The added mass on the Lunar lander comprises more fuel, more ruggedisation, measures for failure tolerance and strengthening of landing legs and increased scientific payloads, larger solar panels for better power generation," Somanath told WION.</p>

<p><strong>Also read </strong>|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/countdown-begins-isro-to-launch-chandrayaan-3-on-july-14-all-details-here-612770">Countdown begins: ISRO to launch Chandrayaan-3 on July 14 | All details here</a></p>

<p>On Thursday, the 640-tonne launch vehicle has been moved to the second launch pad at the Indian spaceport. A day or prior to the July 14 launch, a countdown timer is started and a crucial phase of multiple health checks on the vehicle and its systems, sub-systems is carried out. Towards the final stages of the countdown, the Earth-storable liquid fuels and the super-cooled cryogenic fuels are filled into the second and third stages of the rocket, respectively.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Queried about the scientific discoveries and outcomes from Chandrayaan-3, Somanath explained to WION that the initial gains from the mission would be the pictures and data from the Moon. However, the scientific studies would take time to conclude.</p>

<p>"We have explained to major Indian academia, labs, research institutions, etc about the data that we expect from the Chandrayaan-3 experiments. The processing of that data and deriving of scientific inferences from it will be carried out by them. Results will take time", he said.</p>

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Imagine firing a laser on the Lunar dust/small rocks (known as regolith), vaporising them and then studying the vapours to understand the chemical composition of the lunar surface.

Imagine firing a laser on the Lunar dust/small rocks (known as regolith), vaporising them and then studying the vapours to understand the chemical composition of the lunar surface. This would help identify the rare and otherwise unknown elements that exist on the Moon's surface and possibly help trace how it came to be. Sounds like science fiction? No, this isn't. India's 'Pragyaan' lunar rover will be performing this spectroscopy experiment, among a host of other experiments, when it rolls on the lunar surface during its planned 14-day mission there. ISRO Chairman Dr S Somanath shared details regarding Chandrayaan-3 on the sidelines of a media interaction during the G20 Space Economy Leaders Meeting in Bengaluru. On Thursday evening, ISRO officially announced that India's third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 would be launched at 14.35 hours (local time) on Friday, July 14. The 3,84,000-kilometre journey towards a lunar soft landing is expected to take around six weeks for the 3,900kg or 3.9-tonne lunar spacecraft. ISRO is targeting a lunar soft landing on either August 23 or 24. Landing dates are determined based on the availability of sunlight at the particular landing spot. Sunlight is essential for the lunar lander and rover to utilise their solar panels and generate power, and thereafter perform their scientific tasks. ISRO has designed the Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover to function for a duration of 14 earth days (which would be the approximate length of a Lunar Day). After that it would be a period of 14 earth days of darkness at the landing site, hence the rover and lander will not be able to recharge their batteries during that lunar night, when temperatures could be as low as -180 degrees Celcius. However, ISRO says they have tested their lander and rover for extreme conditions and expressed hope that they could "come back to life" once sunlight is again available to them. "The rover will be moving only within a limited range that is within the sight of the lander's cameras. All data collected by the rover will be transmitted first to the rover and then to the orbiter and then back to Earth. So, after the lunar night both the lander and rover must work, for our mission life to get extended. If both our lander and rover are working after surviving the lunar night, then we will use them for further experiments' Dr Somanath responded to WION's question on the mission life. Chandrayaan-3 is India's third lunar mission India is undertaking its third lunar mission and second lunar landing attempt, after the previous mission Chandrayaan-2 could not perform the soft landing. When it was barely two kilometres above the lunar surface, while approaching for a vertical landing, ISRO lost contact with the then 'Vikram' lunar lander. The lander made a hard landing on the lunar surface, which it did not survive, thus leaving the lunar landing mission incomplete. However, the orbiter from Chandrayaan-2 continues to circle the Moon and provides scientific data from its payloads. Therefore, Chandrayaan-3 will not be having an orbiter that is mounted with multiple science payloads. Instead, it will serve as a propulsion module that will help the integrated spacecraft reach the lunar orbit. While the Chandrayaan-3 orbiter weighs lesser than its predecessor, the integrated spacecraft (orbiter, lander, rover) weighs 3.9 tonnes or 3,900 kgs, which is approximately 300 kgs more than the integrated Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft. However, the payload mass reduced from the orbiter has been added to the Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander. "The added mass on the Lunar lander comprises more fuel, more ruggedisation, measures for failure tolerance and strengthening of landing legs and increased scientific payloads, larger solar panels for better power generation," Somanath told WION. Also read | Countdown begins: ISRO to launch Chandrayaan-3 on July 14 | All details here On Thursday, the 640-tonne launch vehicle has been moved to the second launch pad at the Indian spaceport. A day or prior to the July 14 launch, a countdown timer is started and a crucial phase of multiple health checks on the vehicle and its systems, sub-systems is carried out. Towards the final stages of the countdown, the Earth-storable liquid fuels and the super-cooled cryogenic fuels are filled into the second and third stages of the rocket, respectively. Queried about the scientific discoveries and outcomes from Chandrayaan-3, Somanath explained to WION that the initial gains from the mission would be the pictures and data from the Moon. However, the scientific studies would take time to conclude. "We have explained to major Indian academia, labs, research institutions, etc about the data that we expect from the Chandrayaan-3 experiments. The processing of that data and deriving of scientific inferences from it will be carried out by them. Results will take time", he said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Chandrayaan-3 rover to fire laser on lunar rocks, vaporise them to perform studies 

<p>In the coming decades, the global space economy is expected to more than double in size and breach the $ 1 trillion mark. Although space technology has become more accessible and the cost of access to space has come down a great deal, it must be remembered that only a few nations possess end-to-end space technology. This end-to-end capability involves the technological and industrial might to design, develop, manufacture and launch rockets and satellites indigenously and the technology to receive satellite data and use it for various national needs.</p>

<p>At this crucial juncture, India's Government-run Department of Space is hosting the 4<sup>th</sup>&nbsp;Edition of the G20 Space Economy Leaders Meeting (SELM) in Bengaluru, Southern India.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/global-space-economy-447-billion-indias-share-less-than-2-pvt-sector-can-drive-growth-say-officials-412801">Global Space economy $447 billion, India’s share less than 2%, Pvt sector can drive growth, say Officials</a></strong></p>

<p>"Today as the world faces multiple cascading crises, India's G20 Presidency reminds us that we are one earth, one family one future.&nbsp;We must unite as a global community in our journey across the final frontier... we gather here today to explore the vast potential of the space sector, the final frontier of human exploration and a driving force behind global economic growth," said Amitabh&nbsp;Kant, India's G20 Sherpa.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The SELM brings together representations from 27 National space agencies.&nbsp;This includes leaders from 18 G20 nations and nine&nbsp;invited nations. The meeting is expected to focus on aspects to facilitate and foster increased international cooperation in the domain of space. While space technology was initially considered a government-only domain, today private space firms and start-ups are making rapid strides in launching powerful re-usable rockets and building and launching satellites and processing satellite data.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Gravitas Plus: A new dawn for India's space industry</strong></p>

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<p>Speaking about the overwhelming response to the in-person event in Bengaluru, Dr S&nbsp;Somanath, Chairman, ISRO said, "It's an impeccable indication of the growing importance of space technology products and services in propelling the global economy. The level of participation and significance of this event is growing since the first edition of this event, three years back".&nbsp;</p>

<p>Among the major discussions at SELM would be the increased scope for business relations between the private space industries, start-ups of the participating nations and exploring avenues of working together. Notably, after having permitted private industries to carry out end-to-end space activities (from 2020 onwards), India has seen more than 140 active and successful start-ups working in this sector.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Speaking at the Inaugural session, Dr Jitendra Singh, India's Minister of State, Prime Minister's Office, said that space technology has pervaded all homes today. "Our challenges are common and therefore our effort also has to be common. Time has come to carry on our collaboration, bonhomie that we have developed via G20 from earth to space," he said.&nbsp;</p>

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In the coming decades, the global space economy is expected to more than double in size and breach the $ 1 trillion mark. Although space technology has become more accessible and the cost of access to space has come down a great deal, it must be remembered that only a few nations possess end-to-end space technology.

In the coming decades, the global space economy is expected to more than double in size and breach the $ 1 trillion mark. Although space technology has become more accessible and the cost of access to space has come down a great deal, it must be remembered that only a few nations possess end-to-end space technology. This end-to-end capability involves the technological and industrial might to design, develop, manufacture and launch rockets and satellites indigenously and the technology to receive satellite data and use it for various national needs. At this crucial juncture, India's Government-run Department of Space is hosting the 4th Edition of the G20 Space Economy Leaders Meeting (SELM) in Bengaluru, Southern India. Also read | Global Space economy $447 billion, India’s share less than 2%, Pvt sector can drive growth, say Officials "Today as the world faces multiple cascading crises, India's G20 Presidency reminds us that we are one earth, one family one future. We must unite as a global community in our journey across the final frontier... we gather here today to explore the vast potential of the space sector, the final frontier of human exploration and a driving force behind global economic growth," said Amitabh Kant, India's G20 Sherpa. The SELM brings together representations from 27 National space agencies. This includes leaders from 18 G20 nations and nine invited nations. The meeting is expected to focus on aspects to facilitate and foster increased international cooperation in the domain of space. While space technology was initially considered a government-only domain, today private space firms and start-ups are making rapid strides in launching powerful re-usable rockets and building and launching satellites and processing satellite data. Also watch | Gravitas Plus: A new dawn for India's space industry × Speaking about the overwhelming response to the in-person event in Bengaluru, Dr S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO said, "It's an impeccable indication of the growing importance of space technology products and services in propelling the global economy. The level of participation and significance of this event is growing since the first edition of this event, three years back". Among the major discussions at SELM would be the increased scope for business relations between the private space industries, start-ups of the participating nations and exploring avenues of working together. Notably, after having permitted private industries to carry out end-to-end space activities (from 2020 onwards), India has seen more than 140 active and successful start-ups working in this sector. Speaking at the Inaugural session, Dr Jitendra Singh, India's Minister of State, Prime Minister's Office, said that space technology has pervaded all homes today. "Our challenges are common and therefore our effort also has to be common. Time has come to carry on our collaboration, bonhomie that we have developed via G20 from earth to space," he said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

G20 Space Economy Leaders Meeting commences in India's Aerospace hub Bengaluru

<p>India's largest rocket LVM3 stands assembled and ready at the vehicle assembly building in Satish Shawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. ISRO said on Wednesday that the nose cone (payload fairing) of the rocket, which holds the Chandrayaan-3 Lunar spacecraft within, has been fitted atop the launch vehicle. This indicates steady progress towards a launch around July 13&nbsp;or July 14 afternoon, if all goes well. However, ISRO has not yet officially announced a launch date.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">🚀LVM3-M4/Chandrayaan-3🛰️ Mission:<br />
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Today, at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, the encapsulated assembly containing Chandrayaan-3 is mated with LVM3. <a href="https://t.co/4sUxxps5Ah">pic.twitter.com/4sUxxps5Ah</a></p>
— ISRO (@isro) <a href="https://twitter.com/isro/status/1676506357359603712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>On July 7, the 640-ton Launch vehicle is expected to be moved to the Second launch pad at the Indian spaceport. A day or day and a half prior to launch, a countdown timer is started and a crucial phase of multiple health checks on the vehicle and its systems, sub-systems is carried out. It is towards the final stages of the countdown that the earth-storable liquid fuels and the super-cooled cryogenic fuels are filled into the second and third stages of the rocket, respectively.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dr&nbsp;S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO had earlier told WION that the Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover would retain the names used in Chandrayaan-2. This implies that the Lunar lander will be known as 'Vikram', a tribute to Dr. Vikram A Sarabhai, the brain behind the Indian space programme. The rover will be known as 'Pragyan', a Sanskrit word that means wisdom. We are looking at a Lunar landing around August-end, Dr. Somanath added. The Lunar l sing will have to be conducted at a time when the landing spot is experiencing a Lunar day (roughly spanning 14 earth days). This will help the lander and rover perform experiments within the stipulated mission duration.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">India’s third lunar spacecraft <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chandrayaan3?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chandrayaan3</a>, safely nestled inside the rocket nose cone(payload fairing) being wheeled into the vehicle assembly building, where it is handled delicately and mated onto the 640-ton 🚀 LVM3 rocket<br />
<br />
We have a little more than a week for launch day! <a href="https://t.co/WH3dNA18we">https://t.co/WH3dNA18we</a> <a href="https://t.co/titfGF0jEK">pic.twitter.com/titfGF0jEK</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1676516214154366978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>India is undertaking its third Lunar mission and second Lunar landing attempt, after the previous mission Chandrayaan-2 could not perform the Lunar soft landing. While barely two kilometres above the Lunar surface, as it was approaching for a vertical landing, ISRO lost contact with the then 'Vikram' Lunar lander. The lander had made a hard landing of the lunar surface, which it did not survive, thus leaving the Lunar landing mission incomplete.</p>

<p>However, the orbiter from Chandrayaan-2 continues to circle the moon and provide science data from its payloads. Therefore, Chandrayaan-3 will not be having an orbiter that is mounted with multiple science payloads. Instead, it will serve as a propulsion module that will help the integrated spacecraft reach Lunar orbit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While theChandrayaan-3 orbiter weighs lesser than its predecessor, the integrated spacecraft (orbiter, lander, rover) weigh 3.9tons or 3,900kgs, which is approximately 300kgs more than the integrated Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft. However, the payload mass reduced from the orbiter has been added to the Chandrayaan-3 Lunar lander.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The added mass on the Lunar lander comprises more fuel, more ruggedisation, measures for failure tolerance and strengthening of landing legs and increased scientific payloads, larger solar panels for better power generation," Dr S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO told WION. He was responding to WION's question on whether the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft would weigh lesser than its predecessor (which weighed around 3.6 tonnes or 3,600kgs).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier, Chairman, ISRO had told WION that the launch window for Chandrayaan-3 on board the LVM3 rocket would be between July 12 and July 19. The launch window is the ideal period for a launch mission and any day within that interval would be chosen based on a host of factors. Given that the Indian Lunar spacecraft would require around six weeks to travel from the earth to the moon (a distance of 3,84,000kms), precise calculations are carried out and the launch time is determined down to the minute.</p>

<p>When determining the time of launch, the mission planners consider the weather forecast, a flight path that is free of space debris, the dynamic position of the destination (with respect to earth), the time taken to travel to the destination, the manoeuvres involved, the rocket being used, the purpose of the mission, day or night time at the destination (during the time of landing), the movement and impact of other heavenly bodies etc.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Given that the launch window for Chandryaan-3 is just around a week, ISRO would work towards ensuring that the launch happens in the first few days of the window. It is pertinent to remember that Chandrayaan-2 was originally scheduled for launch on July 15, 2019, but ISRO called off that day's launch, owing to a technical snag that was observed while the rocket's cryogenic fuels were being filled.</p>

<p>ISRO took a week to rectify the issue and finally carried out the launch on July 22 in 2019. Therefore, ISRO's goal would be to launch in the first few days of the window, so that they can have a handful of days at hand, in case of any unexpected technical issues.</p>

<p>Queried about how confident he was about the positive mission outcome of Chandrayaan-3, Dr Somanath had earlier told WION that he is always confident, but space is an unforgiving domain, where only rigorous testing and clear decision-making yield favourable results. Smilingly, making a mention of luck being involved, he said that "even luck comes out of hard work and the perseverance to do the right thing at the right time".</p>

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India's largest rocket LVM3 stands assembled and ready at the vehicle assembly building in Satish Shawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. ISRO said on Wednesday that the nose cone (payload fairing) of the rocket, which holds the Chandrayaan-3 Lunar spacecraft within, has been fitted atop the launch vehicle.

India's largest rocket LVM3 stands assembled and ready at the vehicle assembly building in Satish Shawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. ISRO said on Wednesday that the nose cone (payload fairing) of the rocket, which holds the Chandrayaan-3 Lunar spacecraft within, has been fitted atop the launch vehicle. This indicates steady progress towards a launch around July 13 or July 14 afternoon, if all goes well. However, ISRO has not yet officially announced a launch date. 🚀LVM3-M4/Chandrayaan-3🛰️ Mission: Today, at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, the encapsulated assembly containing Chandrayaan-3 is mated with LVM3. pic.twitter.com/4sUxxps5Ah — ISRO (@isro) July 5, 2023 × On July 7, the 640-ton Launch vehicle is expected to be moved to the Second launch pad at the Indian spaceport. A day or day and a half prior to launch, a countdown timer is started and a crucial phase of multiple health checks on the vehicle and its systems, sub-systems is carried out. It is towards the final stages of the countdown that the earth-storable liquid fuels and the super-cooled cryogenic fuels are filled into the second and third stages of the rocket, respectively. Dr S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO had earlier told WION that the Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover would retain the names used in Chandrayaan-2. This implies that the Lunar lander will be known as 'Vikram', a tribute to Dr. Vikram A Sarabhai, the brain behind the Indian space programme. The rover will be known as 'Pragyan', a Sanskrit word that means wisdom. We are looking at a Lunar landing around August-end, Dr. Somanath added. The Lunar l sing will have to be conducted at a time when the landing spot is experiencing a Lunar day (roughly spanning 14 earth days). This will help the lander and rover perform experiments within the stipulated mission duration. India’s third lunar spacecraft #Chandrayaan3, safely nestled inside the rocket nose cone(payload fairing) being wheeled into the vehicle assembly building, where it is handled delicately and mated onto the 640-ton 🚀 LVM3 rocket We have a little more than a week for launch day! https://t.co/WH3dNA18we pic.twitter.com/titfGF0jEK — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) July 5, 2023 × India is undertaking its third Lunar mission and second Lunar landing attempt, after the previous mission Chandrayaan-2 could not perform the Lunar soft landing. While barely two kilometres above the Lunar surface, as it was approaching for a vertical landing, ISRO lost contact with the then 'Vikram' Lunar lander. The lander had made a hard landing of the lunar surface, which it did not survive, thus leaving the Lunar landing mission incomplete. However, the orbiter from Chandrayaan-2 continues to circle the moon and provide science data from its payloads. Therefore, Chandrayaan-3 will not be having an orbiter that is mounted with multiple science payloads. Instead, it will serve as a propulsion module that will help the integrated spacecraft reach Lunar orbit. While theChandrayaan-3 orbiter weighs lesser than its predecessor, the integrated spacecraft (orbiter, lander, rover) weigh 3.9tons or 3,900kgs, which is approximately 300kgs more than the integrated Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft. However, the payload mass reduced from the orbiter has been added to the Chandrayaan-3 Lunar lander. The added mass on the Lunar lander comprises more fuel, more ruggedisation, measures for failure tolerance and strengthening of landing legs and increased scientific payloads, larger solar panels for better power generation," Dr S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO told WION. He was responding to WION's question on whether the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft would weigh lesser than its predecessor (which weighed around 3.6 tonnes or 3,600kgs). Earlier, Chairman, ISRO had told WION that the launch window for Chandrayaan-3 on board the LVM3 rocket would be between July 12 and July 19. The launch window is the ideal period for a launch mission and any day within that interval would be chosen based on a host of factors. Given that the Indian Lunar spacecraft would require around six weeks to travel from the earth to the moon (a distance of 3,84,000kms), precise calculations are carried out and the launch time is determined down to the minute. When determining the time of launch, the mission planners consider the weather forecast, a flight path that is free of space debris, the dynamic position of the destination (with respect to earth), the time taken to travel to the destination, the manoeuvres involved, the rocket being used, the purpose of the mission, day or night time at the destination (during the time of landing), the movement and impact of other heavenly bodies etc. Given that the launch window for Chandryaan-3 is just around a week, ISRO would work towards ensuring that the launch happens in the first few days of the window. It is pertinent to remember that Chandrayaan-2 was originally scheduled for launch on July 15, 2019, but ISRO called off that day's launch, owing to a technical snag that was observed while the rocket's cryogenic fuels were being filled. ISRO took a week to rectify the issue and finally carried out the launch on July 22 in 2019. Therefore, ISRO's goal would be to launch in the first few days of the window, so that they can have a handful of days at hand, in case of any unexpected technical issues. Queried about how confident he was about the positive mission outcome of Chandrayaan-3, Dr Somanath had earlier told WION that he is always confident, but space is an unforgiving domain, where only rigorous testing and clear decision-making yield favourable results. Smilingly, making a mention of luck being involved, he said that "even luck comes out of hard work and the perseverance to do the right thing at the right time". WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

ISRO's LVM3 rocket fully integrated ahead of Chandrayaan-3 launch 

<p>Aerial assets of the Indian Navy (IN) and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) are conducting a week-long maritime surveillance exercise in Southern India. The exercise is being carried out from the Indian Naval Air Station INS Rajali, Arakkonam, situated 60 km from Chennai city on the East Coast.&nbsp;Both Quad nations are fielding their respective American-origin Boeing Poseidon 'P8' aircraft for this bilateral exercise that will go on till July 6th.</p>

<p>Being carried out under Australia's regional engagement activity, Indo-Pacific Endeavour(IPE), this initiative is aimed at increasing interoperability and maritime domain awareness between the Indian and Australian Militaries. The RAAF is fielding a P-8A Poseidon aircraft from the No.11 Squadron, whereas the Indian Navy is fielding the P-8I Poseidon aircraft from the INAS 312 Squadron.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We are excited to return to India and work alongside our top-tier security partner. Our forces are training and exercising together frequently, and routinely conducting deployments from each other's territories. This will ultimately make it easier for us to work together in support of regional security, stability and prosperity," said Air Commodore Tony McCormack, Commander Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2023.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In recent years, the number of similar military platforms that are operational in both the Indian and Australian forces has been increasing. At present, the forces from both nations operate Boeing C17 Globemaster III strategic airlifters, Boeing P8I maritime surveillance aircraft, Sikorsky MH-60 maritime helicopters, Lockheed Martin C-130J tactical airlifter planes and a host of trainer aircraft.</p>

<p>Operating with the Indian Navy for more than a decade, the Boeing Poseidon P-8I has been a potent platform for Long-range Maritime Reconnaissance(LRMR), Anti-surface warfare and Anti-submarine warfare. Based on the Boeing 737-800 civilian aircraft, the P8I is fitted with various advanced sensors and has the capability of firing anti-ship missiles and torpedoes. As the P8 is fundamentally similar to a passenger aircraft, it can fly for up to 10 hours, while performing its multi-mission role and can be quickly redeployed.</p>

<p>The Indian P8I recently demonstrated its multi-mission capability by participating in a search and rescue operation, rendering Humanitarian aid in the aftermath of the Chinese fishing vessel 'Lu Peng Yuan Yu 28' capsizing in the Indian Ocean region. After initially dropping search and rescue equipment, the Indian Navy P-8I located the sunken fishing vessel, spotted the life raft, and relayed information to the Chinese ships operating in the region.</p>

<p>WION had recently reported from India's largest Naval Airbase INS Hansa, explaining how India operates a fleet of Soviet-origin and American-origin long-range maritime surveillance planes to hunt submarines. Notably, India is the only nation in Asia to operate the American-origin Boeing P8 aircraft.&nbsp;</p>

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Aerial assets of the Indian Navy (IN) and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) are conducting a week-long maritime surveillance exercise in Southern India. The exercise is being carried out from the Indian Naval Air Station INS Rajali, Arakkonam, situated 60 km from Chennai city on the East Coast.

Aerial assets of the Indian Navy (IN) and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) are conducting a week-long maritime surveillance exercise in Southern India. The exercise is being carried out from the Indian Naval Air Station INS Rajali, Arakkonam, situated 60 km from Chennai city on the East Coast. Both Quad nations are fielding their respective American-origin Boeing Poseidon 'P8' aircraft for this bilateral exercise that will go on till July 6th. Being carried out under Australia's regional engagement activity, Indo-Pacific Endeavour(IPE), this initiative is aimed at increasing interoperability and maritime domain awareness between the Indian and Australian Militaries. The RAAF is fielding a P-8A Poseidon aircraft from the No.11 Squadron, whereas the Indian Navy is fielding the P-8I Poseidon aircraft from the INAS 312 Squadron. "We are excited to return to India and work alongside our top-tier security partner. Our forces are training and exercising together frequently, and routinely conducting deployments from each other's territories. This will ultimately make it easier for us to work together in support of regional security, stability and prosperity," said Air Commodore Tony McCormack, Commander Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2023. In recent years, the number of similar military platforms that are operational in both the Indian and Australian forces has been increasing. At present, the forces from both nations operate Boeing C17 Globemaster III strategic airlifters, Boeing P8I maritime surveillance aircraft, Sikorsky MH-60 maritime helicopters, Lockheed Martin C-130J tactical airlifter planes and a host of trainer aircraft. Operating with the Indian Navy for more than a decade, the Boeing Poseidon P-8I has been a potent platform for Long-range Maritime Reconnaissance(LRMR), Anti-surface warfare and Anti-submarine warfare. Based on the Boeing 737-800 civilian aircraft, the P8I is fitted with various advanced sensors and has the capability of firing anti-ship missiles and torpedoes. As the P8 is fundamentally similar to a passenger aircraft, it can fly for up to 10 hours, while performing its multi-mission role and can be quickly redeployed. The Indian P8I recently demonstrated its multi-mission capability by participating in a search and rescue operation, rendering Humanitarian aid in the aftermath of the Chinese fishing vessel 'Lu Peng Yuan Yu 28' capsizing in the Indian Ocean region. After initially dropping search and rescue equipment, the Indian Navy P-8I located the sunken fishing vessel, spotted the life raft, and relayed information to the Chinese ships operating in the region. WION had recently reported from India's largest Naval Airbase INS Hansa, explaining how India operates a fleet of Soviet-origin and American-origin long-range maritime surveillance planes to hunt submarines. Notably, India is the only nation in Asia to operate the American-origin Boeing P8 aircraft. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Poseidon P8 aircraft from India and Australia performing maritime surveillance exercises near Chennai

<p>Owing to an unforeseen technical issue, the Indian Space Agency ISRO terminated the test firing of its most-powerful rocket engine midway through. This is a minor setback in ISRO's journey towards testing and operationalising its maiden semi-cryogenic rocket engine&nbsp;which has been under development for several years. According to ISRO, the maiden test firing was meant to last 4.5 seconds and was aimed at testing the subsystems of the newly-developed semi-cryogenic engine. However, due to an unforeseen variation in test parameters at the two seconds mark, ISRO terminated the test as a precautionary measure.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The test of an intermediate configuration of the Semi-cryogenic Engine (powered by Kerosene and Liquid oxygen), known as Power Head Test Article (PHTA), was carried out at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. The PHTA forms the first hardware test of the engine development programme. Meant to deliver a thrust of 2000 kN, this engine is envisioned as one that would power the booster stages of future launch vehicles and enhance the lifting capability of the existing LVM3 rocket, which is India's heaviest.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The objective of the test was to validate the integrated performance of the critical subsystems such as the gas generator, turbo pumps, pre-burner and control components by carrying out a hot-firing for a short duration of 4.5 seconds. The ignition and generation of hot gas within the pre-burner chamber that drives the main turbine to drive the fuel and oxidiser pumps were focussed," ISRO said in a statement.</p>

<p>"The test proceeded as predicted till 1.9 seconds validating the ignition and subsequent performance of PHTA. At 2.0 seconds, an unanticipated spike in the turbine pressure and subsequent loss of turbine speed was observed. As a precautionary step, the test was terminated. Analysis under progress would offer further understanding before proceeding with further hot tests for a longer duration," ISRO added.</p>

<p>ISRO commenced the fuel flow testing of this engine at the IPRC facility in May 2023. A series of test firings were planned as part of the process of proving the performance of the engine. While there has been an anomaly observed in the latest test, it must be acknowledged that engine development and testing is a long-drawn, complicated process that takes significant time and effort.&nbsp;</p>

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Owing to an unforeseen technical issue, the Indian Space Agency ISRO terminated the test firing of its most-powerful rocket engine midway through. This is a minor setback in ISRO's journey towards testing and operationalising its maiden semi-cryogenic rocket engine which has been under development for several years.

Owing to an unforeseen technical issue, the Indian Space Agency ISRO terminated the test firing of its most-powerful rocket engine midway through. This is a minor setback in ISRO's journey towards testing and operationalising its maiden semi-cryogenic rocket engine which has been under development for several years. According to ISRO, the maiden test firing was meant to last 4.5 seconds and was aimed at testing the subsystems of the newly-developed semi-cryogenic engine. However, due to an unforeseen variation in test parameters at the two seconds mark, ISRO terminated the test as a precautionary measure. The test of an intermediate configuration of the Semi-cryogenic Engine (powered by Kerosene and Liquid oxygen), known as Power Head Test Article (PHTA), was carried out at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. The PHTA forms the first hardware test of the engine development programme. Meant to deliver a thrust of 2000 kN, this engine is envisioned as one that would power the booster stages of future launch vehicles and enhance the lifting capability of the existing LVM3 rocket, which is India's heaviest. "The objective of the test was to validate the integrated performance of the critical subsystems such as the gas generator, turbo pumps, pre-burner and control components by carrying out a hot-firing for a short duration of 4.5 seconds. The ignition and generation of hot gas within the pre-burner chamber that drives the main turbine to drive the fuel and oxidiser pumps were focussed," ISRO said in a statement. "The test proceeded as predicted till 1.9 seconds validating the ignition and subsequent performance of PHTA. At 2.0 seconds, an unanticipated spike in the turbine pressure and subsequent loss of turbine speed was observed. As a precautionary step, the test was terminated. Analysis under progress would offer further understanding before proceeding with further hot tests for a longer duration," ISRO added. ISRO commenced the fuel flow testing of this engine at the IPRC facility in May 2023. A series of test firings were planned as part of the process of proving the performance of the engine. While there has been an anomaly observed in the latest test, it must be acknowledged that engine development and testing is a long-drawn, complicated process that takes significant time and effort. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

ISRO terminates test-firing of most-powerful rocket engine midway; analysis ongoing

<p>In a major technological breakthrough that will eventually add more lifting-power to Indian rockets, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully test-fired its most powerful-yet rocket engine. Chairman ISRO Dr. S. Somanath confirmed the development to WION. The test firing was conducted at the ISRO Propulsion Complex(IPRC) in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.</p>

<p>Known as a semi-cryogenic engine, this is a type of propulsion technology&nbsp;that is powered by special refined kerosene(dubbed as 'ISROsene') and super-cooled liquid oxygen.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This semi-cryo engine is designed and developed by&nbsp;ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Valimala, Thiruvananthapuram and has also roped in Indian industry to take part in the efforts.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-firm-skyroot-aerospace-test-fires-3-d-printed-cryogenic-engine-spacefaring-rocket-launch-by-2023-end-579750">Indian firm test fires 3-D printed cryogenic engine; spacefaring rocket launch by 2023 end</a></strong></p>

<p>After a series of further tests are conducted and this engine is fully qualified, this 2000kN thrust engine and its stage(associated components, fuel tanks etc.) will be replacing the current L110(liquid-fuel core stage) of India's largest rocket - Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3).</p>

<p>The IPRC facility in Southern India&nbsp;is capable of testing semi-cryogenic engines up to 2600 kN thrust and will support the subsequent testing and qualification of the fully integrated Semi-cryogenic engine and stage.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In May this year,&nbsp;ISRO had commenced tests on the Pressure Head Test Article (PHTA), a setup that comprises all engine systems except the thrust chamber. "The test is the first of a series of tests planned to validate the design of the propellant feed system, including the low-pressure and high-pressure turbo-pumps, the gas generator, and control components," ISRO had said back then.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;India: ISRO Rocket Launch | 36 satellites on board lifts off</strong></p>

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<p>During the earlier test, the parameters that led up to the engine start were checked and validated. "After the chill down of the LOX circuit, the feed circuit of kerosene was filled, and LOX was admitted into the gas generator by opening the injection valve. Successful performance of the test article helps derive the sequence of operations for further tests" ISRO had said in May.</p>

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In a major technological breakthrough that will eventually add more lifting-power to Indian rockets, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully test-fired its most powerful-yet rocket engine.

In a major technological breakthrough that will eventually add more lifting-power to Indian rockets, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully test-fired its most powerful-yet rocket engine. Chairman ISRO Dr. S. Somanath confirmed the development to WION. The test firing was conducted at the ISRO Propulsion Complex(IPRC) in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. Known as a semi-cryogenic engine, this is a type of propulsion technology that is powered by special refined kerosene(dubbed as 'ISROsene') and super-cooled liquid oxygen. This semi-cryo engine is designed and developed by ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Valimala, Thiruvananthapuram and has also roped in Indian industry to take part in the efforts. Also read | Indian firm test fires 3-D printed cryogenic engine; spacefaring rocket launch by 2023 end After a series of further tests are conducted and this engine is fully qualified, this 2000kN thrust engine and its stage(associated components, fuel tanks etc.) will be replacing the current L110(liquid-fuel core stage) of India's largest rocket - Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3). The IPRC facility in Southern India is capable of testing semi-cryogenic engines up to 2600 kN thrust and will support the subsequent testing and qualification of the fully integrated Semi-cryogenic engine and stage. In May this year, ISRO had commenced tests on the Pressure Head Test Article (PHTA), a setup that comprises all engine systems except the thrust chamber. "The test is the first of a series of tests planned to validate the design of the propellant feed system, including the low-pressure and high-pressure turbo-pumps, the gas generator, and control components," ISRO had said back then. Also watch | India: ISRO Rocket Launch | 36 satellites on board lifts off × During the earlier test, the parameters that led up to the engine start were checked and validated. "After the chill down of the LOX circuit, the feed circuit of kerosene was filled, and LOX was admitted into the gas generator by opening the injection valve. Successful performance of the test article helps derive the sequence of operations for further tests" ISRO had said in May. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

More lifting-power for Indian rockets: ISRO test-fires India's most powerful rocket engine

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