NASA, ESA congratulate ISRO on successful Chandrayaan-3 launch

New Delhi: American and European space agencies on Friday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on the successful launch of its third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3. ISRO launched Chandrayaan-3 on-board the heavylift LVM3-M4 rocket, the largest and heaviest in its class and dubbed 'Fat Boy', from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

Taking to Twitter, the European Space Agency (ESA) said, "Congratulations to ISRO for a great launch!" In a statement, the ESA said it is extending support to Chandrayaan-3 through its European Space Tracking (ESTRACK) network of deep space stations. These are ground stations on the Earth to help keep operators stay connected to spacecraft as they venture into outer space.

ESTRACK is operated by the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany. In the days following its launch, the ESA's 15-metre-long antenna in Kourou, French Guiana, will be used to track Chandrayaan-3 to ensure that the spacecraft survived the rigours of the lift-off and is in good health as it begins its journey to the moon, the ESA said. The ESA will also coordinate tracking support from the 32-metre antenna operated by Goonhilly Earth Station Limited, UK, which will support Chandrayaan-3's propulsion and lander modules.

"Crucially, it will support the lander during the entire phase of lunar surface operations, helping to ensure that science data acquired by the rover arrives safely with ISRO in India," the ESA said. Senator Bill Nelson, Administrator of the US' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) also congratulated ISRO on the launch of Chandrayaan-3. He tweeted, "Congratulations to ISRO on the Chandrayaan-3 launch, wishing you safe travels to the Moon. We look forward to the scientific results to come from the mission, including NASA's laser retroreflector array.

India is demonstrating leadership on #ArtemisAccords!" NASA has provided a passive laser retroreflector array (LRA) for lunar ranging studies. The LRA is fitted in the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3. The Artemis Accords is a multilateral arrangement between the US and other countries part of the Artemis programme, which is US-led and intended to re-establish human presence on the moon. After reaching the desired altitude, Chandrayaan-3 is expected to make a soft landing on the moon on August 23 or 24, according to ISRO scientists.