New Delhi: After India scripted history by successfully launching Chandrayaan-2 from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to congratulate the countrymen and said that the launch shows “prowess of scientists and the determination of 130 crore Indians to scale new frontiers of science”.

“Indian at heart, Indian in spirit! What would make every Indian overjoyed is the fact that #Chandrayaan2 is a fully indigenous mission. It will have an Orbiter for remote sensing the Moon and also a Lander-Rover module for analysis of lunar surface,” Modi tweeted on Monday afternoon.

India's second moon mission Chandrayaan-2, aimed at landing a rover on unchartered Lunar South Pole, was launched on Monday with the country's most powerful geosynchronous launch vehicle successfully injecting the spacecraft in the Earth orbit after lift-off from the spacesport.

The 43.43m tall three stage rocket GSLV-MkIII-M1 blasted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre into cloudy skies at 2.43 p.m and about 16 minutes later released the 3,850 kg Chandrayaan-2 into the orbit, a week after the earlier launch was called off on July 15 following a technical snag observed during the propellant filling stage.

The PM said every Indian is “immensely proud” as the Chandrayaan-2 launch would remain etched in the annals of India’s glorious history. “Chandrayaan2 is unique because it will explore and perform studies on the south pole region of lunar terrain which is not explored and sampled by any past mission. This mission will offer new knowledge about the Moon,” he said.

Special moments that will be etched in the annals of our glorious history! The launch of #Chandrayaan2 illustrates the prowess of our scientists and the determination of 130 crore Indians to scale new frontiers of science. Every Indian is immensely proud today! pic.twitter.com/v1ETFneij0

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 22, 2019

Modi added that such efforts will further encourage our bright youngsters towards science, top quality research and innovation. “Thanks to Chandrayaan, India’s Lunar Programme will get a substantial boost. Our existing knowledge of the Moon will be significantly enhanced.”

Efforts such as #Chandrayaan2 will further encourage our bright youngsters towards science, top quality research and innovation. Thanks to Chandrayaan, India’s Lunar Programme will get a substantial boost. Our existing knowledge of the Moon will be significantly enhanced.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 22, 2019

The injection of the Chandrayaan-2 into the Earth orbit marks the successful accomplishment of the first phase of the ambitious mission that will take about 48 days to land on the Moon surface.

The launch took place at the end of a 20-hour countdown that started at 6.43 p.m Sunday after Indian Space Research Organisation scientists rectified the glitch that prompted them to call of the earlier launch.

The three-component Chandrayaan-2 comprising an orbiter, a lander and a rover will undergo 15 crucial manoeuvres before landing on the moon, expected by the first week of September, ISRO said.

Billed as the most complex and prestigious mission undertaken by the ISRO since its inception, Chandrayaan-2 makes India the fourth country to soft land a rover on the lunar surface after Russia, the United States and China.