The 73 days of penance has been rewarded with the successful orbiting of Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft by India's heavy lift rocket LVM3, said a senior official of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Addressing the people assembled at the Mission Control Centre at the rocket port here after the successful rocket mission, S. Mohana Kumar, the Mission Director, Chandrayaan-3 said it was a 73-day penance for the ISRO family.

The penance has been finally rewarded with the injection of Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft in the precise orbit.

Kumar said the LVM3 rocket has undergone continuous improvement as it will be used for India's human space mission called Gaganyaan.

According to S. Unnikrishnan, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, this is the seventh successful mission of LVM3 rocket. Several changes have been made in the rocket to make it the ideal vehicle for the Gaganyaan mission.

On his part the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft Director is Dr P. Veeramuthuvel, the journey to the moon has begun and several critical manoeuvres have been lined up in the coming days.

At about 2.35 p.m. on Friday, the rocket LVM3 broke free from the second launch pad and ascended towards the skies.

About 16 minutes later the rocket slung its only passenger -- Chandrayaan-3 -- in the intended orbit.

From there ISRO officials will take the spacecraft towards the moon and try to land it on the lunar soil sometime late next month.

(IANS/SR)