A previous effort failed in 2019, and the latest attempt comes just days after Russia's first moon mission in almost 50 years crashed on the lunar surface.
Sivan added that the Indian Space Research Organisation had made corrections after the failure four years ago, when scientists lost contact with the previous lunar module moments before its slated landing.
India is using rockets much less powerful than those the United States used back then, meaning the probe must orbit Earth several times to gain speed before embarking on its month-long lunar trajectory. The latest mission comes with a price tag of $74.6 million -- far lower than those of other countries, and a testament to India's frugal space engineering.
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