The space agency of India is preparing to ship a spacecraft on the moon's south pole, a mission that has implications for the country's standing as a space power and for future lunar exploration.
On July 14 the Chandrayaan - 3 mission was launched from India's main space port in Andhra Pradesh.
Since then it has looped through progressively larger orbits of Earth, moved into a lunar orbit, and emerged as a focal point of national pride and of global interest after Russia's failed attempt to beat it to a landing on the moon's south pole.
What are some interesting facts about the Indian Space Research Agency's Chandrayaan 3 mission?
The Chandrayaan - 3 is aimed at the Moon's southern pole, a region with water ice, or frozen water, that could be a source of oxygen, fuel, and water for future moon missions or a more permanent moon colony.
If it lands successfully, Chandrayaan 3 will remain functional for two weeks, running a series of experiments including a spectrometer analysis of the mineral composition of the moon.
The Chandrayaan 3 lander is about two meters tall and has a mass of just over 1,700 kg III,747. The 91-pound vehicle is about the same size as an SUV, and it's about as big as a SUV. It's designed to launch a smaller, 26 kg moon rover.
NASA administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement that the U.S. space agency was looking forward to what would be learned from the Indian mission.
The latest attempt to land on the moon's south pole failed in 2019.
A Chandrayaan 2 successfully launched an orbiter but its lander and rover were destroyed in a crash near where the Chandrayaan 3 will attempt a touchdown.
The instability of a South Pole landing can be caused by a lack of rough terrain. ISRO scientists say they have made adjustments to make it more likely that the current mission will stick its landing. The mission consists of a system to broaden the potential landing zone. The lander has been fitted with more fuel and sturdier legs for impact.
The first Moon mission in 47 years failed on Friday, when its Luna - 25 spacecraft crashed into the moon.
WATCH From miniature gold model of Chandrayaan - 3 'Jai Ho ISRO' sand art to Ganga Aarti in Rishikesh, Havan in the US, Elon Musk's Good for India tweet as India's Moon Mission heads for successful landings.
A successful mission would make India only the fourth country to successfully land on the moon, following the USSR, the United States and China, and mark its rise as a space power just ahead of national elections next year.
Narendra Modi's government is also seeking to boost investment in private space launches and related satellite-based businesses.
In the next decade, India wants private space firms to increase their share of the global launch market by fivefold.
When the mission began, Modi said ISRO was writing a new chapter in India's space odyssey and elevating the dreams and ambitions of every Indian. ISRO is planning to telecast the planned landing on Wednesday from 1720 IST 1150 GMT.