India made history. On August 23, 2023, Chandrayaan-3 touched down on the Moon’s south pole. No country had ever done that before.

But most people never think about: getting to the Moon doesn’t start in space. It starts on the ground, with a rocket powerful enough to carry a spacecraft thousands of kilometers away from Earth.

So, what made this mission possible? What was the force behind it all?

The launch vehicle that carried Chandrayaan-3 is a story worth knowing. And once the details are laid out, it becomes clear just how big a deal this really was.

Overview of the Chandrayaan-3 Launch Vehicle

Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14, 2023, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India.

The rocket that carried it was the LVM3-M4, a vehicle built and operated by ISRO, India’s space agency.

LVM3 stands for Launch Vehicle Mark 3. It is the most powerful rocket in ISRO’s fleet right now. The vehicle carried the mission’s propulsion module, lander, and rover, all stacked together into space.

This rocket had already proven itself before. So when it was chosen for Chandrayaan-3, there was a good reason behind that decision.

Technical Specifications of the Chandrayaan-3 Launch Vehicle

The LVM3-M4 is a three-stage rocket built to carry heavy payloads. Here are its key technical specifications:

• Height: 43.5 meters tall; roughly as tall as a 14-floor building
• Lift-off Mass: 642 tonnes at the time of launch
• Payload Capacity to GTO: Up to 4,000 kg
• Number of Stages: Three; solid, liquid, and cryogenic
• First Stage: Two S200 solid rocket boosters strapped on the sides
• Second Stage: Two L110 liquid-fuelled Vikas engines at the core
• Third Stage: One C25 cryogenic upper stage engine
• Chandrayaan-3 Payload Mass: Around 3,900 kg
• Launch Site: Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota

Stages of the LVM3 Rocket Used in Chandrayaan-3

The LVM3 rocket works in three powerful stages. Each one plays a specific role in getting the spacecraft off the ground and into orbit.

First Stage: S200 Solid Rocket Boosters

The S200 boosters are the first to fire. Two of them are attached to either side of the rocket.

Each one carries around 204 tonnes of solid propellant. They ignite at liftoff and produce the massive thrust needed to push the rocket off the launch pad.

Once their fuel runs out, they separate from the main vehicle and fall away.

Second Stage: L110 Liquid Core Stage

After the S200 boosters separate, the L110 liquid core stage takes over. It runs on two Vikas engines and burns for around 200 seconds.

This stage keeps the rocket climbing higher and faster through the upper atmosphere.

The liquid propellant gives engineers better control over thrust compared to solid fuel, making this stage critical for a stable ascent.

Third Stage: C25 Cryogenic Upper Stage

The C25 is the final and most important stage. It uses the CE-20 engine, powered by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen kept at extremely low temperatures.

This stage burns for about 650 seconds and pushes the spacecraft into its target orbit. Without the C25, reaching the speed needed for a trans-lunar path would not be possible

How the Chandrayaan-3 Launch Vehicle Carried the Mission

On July 14, 2023, LVM3-M4 lifted off from Sriharikota carrying the entire Chandrayaan-3 stack, the propulsion module, the lander, and the rover all packed together as one unit, weighing around 3,900 kg.

The rocket first placed the spacecraft into an elliptical parking orbit with a low point of 170 km and a high point of around 36,500 km.

From there, the propulsion module took charge and gradually raised the orbit through a series of maneuvers.

The payload fairing, the protective nose cone of the rocket, kept the spacecraft safe from heat and pressure during the ascent. Once safely in space, it separated, and the mission continued on its own path toward the Moon.

Why LVM3 Was Chosen for the Chandrayaan-3 Mission

Choosing the right rocket for a lunar mission is not a small decision. LVM3 earned that spot for some very clear reasons.

First, it has the muscle to lift heavy payloads up to 4,000 kg to a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. Chandrayaan-3’s stack weighed close to that limit, so no other ISRO rocket could handle the job.

Second, LVM3 costs less to operate compared to similar rockets. That matters a lot for a mission built on a tight budget.

Third, it had already proven itself with Chandrayaan-2. That track record gave ISRO the confidence to trust it again.

Previous Missions Launched by LVM3

Before Chandrayaan-3, LVM3 had already built a strong track record. Here are the key missions it carried:

• GSAT-19 (2017): LVM3’s first operational flight. It successfully carried India’s communication satellite into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.
• GSAT-29 (2018): A high-throughput communication satellite launched to serve remote regions across India, including the Northeast.
• Chandrayaan-2 (2019): LVM3’s first lunar mission. It successfully placed the orbiter and lander stack into the intended orbit.
• OneWeb Satellites (2023): LVM3 launched 36 OneWeb broadband satellites in one go, marking its first commercial international assignment.
• GSAT-30 (2020): Another communication satellite was successfully delivered to orbit, further proving LVM3’s reliability for heavy payloads.
• Chandrayaan-3 (2023): The fourth flight of LVM3. It carried the lander and rover stack successfully toward the Moon.

Conclusion

LVM3 did not just carry Chandrayaan-3 to the Moon. It carried years of engineering work, careful planning, and hard-earned experience, all packed into one rocket.

From its three-stage design to its proven flight history, every part of LVM3 was built with a purpose.

ISRO has already set its sights on future missions. And if history is any guide, LVM3 will likely be at the center of those plans, too.

Want to know more about ISRO’s upcoming missions? Keep reading to stay updated.