The recent past of space flight has been dominated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX and the Chinese space program. Somewhat under the radar ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) has been entering the arena.
Scott Manely: How India Developed World Class Rockets From Humble Beginnings
On this mission India is trying to send a rover to the surface of the Moon. India would be only the fourth nation to reach the surface after the United States, the Soviet Union and China.
The mission is called Chandrayaan-3 (translation: mooncraft). The payload consists of a propulsion module (2148 kg), the Vikram lander (1752 kg) and the Pragyan rover (26 kg) and adds up to 3900 kg.
India tried to launch a very similar mission in July of 2019 (Chandrayaan-2. It failed shortly (approximately 7 km above ground) before a soft landing due to software issues.
Chandrayaan-1 was India’s first mission to the Moon. It included an orbiter and an impactor.
The payload will launch on the domestically produced Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM3). This rocket is comparable to the capabilities of a Falcon 9. In particular it can compete on price. Cost per launch is quoted at around $63 million.
Where to watch:
- ISRO Official: Launch of LVM3-M4/CHANDRAYAAN-3 Mission from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota
- Times Now: Chandrayaan 3 Launch LIVE: India's Moon Mission 3.0 | ISRO | + Satish Dhawan Space Centre |Sriharikota
- The Angry Astronaut: Chandryaan-3 live
Useful links to stay up to date on launches:
Spaceflightnow.com: Launch Schedule
Nextspaceflight: Launches
Everyday Astronaut: Prelaunch Previews
Space News:
NASA Spaceflight nasaspacefight.com
TMRO: YouTube
Track Starlink satellites: https://satellitemap.space/
Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Starlink