Bengaluru/IBNS: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning for a mid-July launch of the Chandrayaan-3 moon mission, its chairman S Somnath said at a press conference here on Thursday.

Speaking at the SMOPS-2023 International Conference on Spacecraft Mission Operations, Somnath said: "Mission Chandrayaan-3 is nearing its launch. We have moved the Chandrayaan-3 satellite from UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru to Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The initial operations of checking the satellites are going on now."

He also said the launch vehicle for the mission, LVM 3, has also reached the launch port.

"The rocket will be fully ready and we will be assembling Chandrayaan 3 to the rocket at the beginning of July", he said.

Somnath said ISRO has added more fuel to the lander along with new equipment and also strengthened it.

He said the first abort mission may happen in August and another later this year followed by an unmanned mission, possibly by the beginning of next year.