Chandrayaan-3 is India's third lunar exploration mission, following Chandrayaan-2, with the goal of safely landing on the Moon and deploying a rover.
The mission uses the powerful GSLV Mark 3 rocket, known as the Bahubali rocket, to support the moon lander Vikram.
India's first lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, in 2008, discovered the presence of water molecules on the Moon's surface.
Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14, 2023, from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, and is set to land on the Moon's South Pole in August.
Modifications were made to Chandrayaan-3 to increase reliability, including a heavier Vikram Lander with more fuel for a successful landing.
The total weight of the mission is close to the maximum capacity of India's GSLV Mk III rocket.
The Pragyan rover, powered by solar energy, will explore the Moon's surface for about 14 Earth days.
The Vikram Lander and rover are equipped with scientific instruments to study moonquakes, heat transfer, plasma, and gravitational interactions.
ISRO designed Chandrayaan-3 with a focus on ensuring a successful landing even in the face of component failures.
If successful, India will join the United States, the former Soviet Union, China, and Israel as one of the few nations to have attempted lunar landings, boosting India's space program's global standing.