The Indian Space Research Organisation finalized preparations today, Friday, for the launch of a rocket that will attempt to deliver a spacecraft to land at the Moon's south pole, marking the first mission of its kind for space exploration. The "Chandrayaan-3" spacecraft will be the first to land at the south pole of the Moon, a region that space agencies and private space companies are particularly interested in due to the presence of water ice that could assist in building a future space station.
The rocket is expected to launch from the main spaceport in Andhra Pradesh at 2:35 PM (09:05 GMT). The Indian Space Research Organisation stated that it has "completed a review of mission readiness ahead of the planned launch."
The Chandrayaan-2 mission successfully deployed an orbiter in 2020; however, the lander and rover crashed near the area where Chandrayaan-3 will attempt to land. If the mission goes as planned, the spacecraft is expected to touch down on the lunar surface by August 23.
