Chandrayaan-3 in advanced stage, targeted to be launched in FY2022-2023: Govt

India's ambitious mission to moon Chandrayaan-3 is in an advanced stage of realisation and it is targeted to be launched in the second quarter of the financial year 2022-2023, the government said on Thursday.

In a written reply, Union Minister Jitendra Singh informed Rajya Sabha that all the systems in both "Propulsion Module and Rover Module have been realized, integrated and tested".

In the Lander Module, Singh said most of the systems have been realised and tests are under progress.

"Chandrayaan-3 is targeted to be launched in the second quarter of the financial year 2022-2023. Integrated Sensors and Navigation performance test on the Lander have been completed and other tests are in progress," said the Minister.

Singh further informed that all the identified tests will be completed before the launch of Chandrayaan-3.

The Minister replied to the question asked by Samajwadi Party leader Rewati Raman Singh.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) conceived Chandrayaan-3 after it failed to soft-land Vikram (lander) on the lunar surface while it still has a fully operational orbiter of Chandrayaan-2 going around the Moon. Therefore, unlike the previous mission, which carried an orbiter, lander and rover, Chandrayaan-3 will only carry a lander and rover along with a propulsion module that will carry the fuel for various manoeuvres needed to navigate the landing module after its launch.

In a written reply to a separate question, Singh said that the government currently has no proposal to send a manned mission to the Moon and any proposal for the same would be considered after the launch of the Gaganyaan programme, which will be India's first manned space mission.

"Any proposal or studies for extending human presence beyond Low Earth orbit could be taken after demonstration of Gaganyaan programme," Singh said.

(With ANI inputs)