India's Moonshot Tonight, Countdown To Chandrayaan 2 Launch

President Ram Nath Kovind has arrived at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh to witness the live launch of the Chandrayaan 2, the Indian space mission that aims to place a robotic rover on the moon, at 2:51 am on Monday. The 20-hour countdown for the launch, which will be assisted by the GSLV Mk III, had started at 6:51 am today. The satellite launch has gained worldwide attention owing to its low budget as well as the Indian Space Research Organisation's growing influence in the field of space exploration. A number of public figures, from actor Akshay Kumar to politician D Raja, praised the scientists who worked on the project.