India Moon Rocket Blasts Off in Mission to Reach South Pole

  • Unmanned launch took place at 2:43 p.m. local time on Monday
  • Country seeks to become the first to land on moon’s south pole
The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft Lander module at the ISRO headquarters
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India successfully launched its second mission to the moon on Monday, a week after a technical snag forced the South Asian nation to postpone the attempt.

The unmanned Chandrayaan-2, which means “moon vehicle” in Sanskrit, was launched at 2:43 p.m. local time from a tiny barrier island in southeastern India. The country is attempting to become the first nation to land on the south pole of Earth’s closest neighbor.