In Pictures: ISRO Releases First Images Of GSLV MK III Rocket Which Will Carry Chandrayaan 2

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has released the first public images of its three-stage launch vehicle, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk-III), which is scheduled to take the Chandrayaan-2 lunar exploration mission into space on 14 July.

Here are some of those photos:

The full gallery can be viewed here on the ISRO website.

Having been allocated a total budget of Rs 978 crore, the Chandrayaan-2 project is an ambitious undertaking of India’s domestic space agency. The mission’s success would make India only the fourth country to complete a successful landing on the moon’s surface, after the US, USSR and China.

Moreover, the GSLV Mark III which will be used in this mission will play a pivotal role in future launches; India’s maiden manned mission Gaganyaan, scheduled for 2022, will also utilise this launch vehicle.