'Chandrayaan-3 will carry the hopes and dreams of our nation': PM Modi

"14th July 2023 will always be etched in golden letters as far as India's space sector is concerned," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission launch.The lift-off of Chandrayaan-3, India third lunar mission, is scheduled at 2:35 pm on Friday."Chandrayaan-3, our third lunar mission, will embark on its journey. This remarkable mission will carry the hopes and dreams of our nation," the Prime Minister tweeted on Friday.The aim of Chandrayaan-3 mission is to achieve what its predecessor - Chandrayaan- 2 - could not. It's focus will be on soft landing on the lunar surface and explore it with a rover.Also Read: Will Chandrayaan-3 make history? All you need to know about the moon missionA successful soft landing will make India the fourth country, after the US, Russia, and China, to achieve the feat.After launching into an orbit around the Earth at an altitude of 179 km, the spacecraft will steadily increase its orbit in a series of manoeuvres to escape the Earth’s gravity and slingshot towards the moon.Don't Miss: When & where to watch ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 launch LIVEOnce it reaches close to the moon, Chandrayaan-3 will need to be captured by its gravity. After this, the lander, which carries the rover inside it, will get detached from the propulsion module and start powered descent.This entire process is likely to take around 42 days, with the landing expected to be around August 23 at the lunar dawn.With inputs from agencies