'Chandrayaan-2 shows the prowess of Indian scientists'

The launch of Chandrayaan-2 illustrates the prowess of Indian scientists and the determination of 130 crore countrymen to scale new frontiers of science, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday.

In a series of tweets, he said every Indian is immensely proud today.

Chandrayaan 2 launch LIVE: PM says Indian at heart, Indian in spirit!

Referring to the indigenous systems used in Chandrayaan-2, he said the mission is "Indian at heart, Indian in spirit!"

India has successfully launched its second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 onboard its powerful rocket GSLV-MkIII-M1 from the spaceport in Sriharikota to explore the unchartered south pole of the celestial body by landing a rover.

"Efforts such as Chandrayaan-2 will further encourage our bright youngsters towards science, top-quality research and innovation," the prime minister said.

"Thanks to Chandrayaan, India's lunar programme will get a substantial boost. Our existing knowledge of the moon will be significantly enhanced," he tweeted.

On the importance of Chandrayaan-2, Modi said, the mission is unique because it will explore and perform studies on the south pole region of lunar terrain which has not been explored and sampled by "any past mission".

"What would make every Indian overjoyed is the fact that Chandrayaan-2 is a fully indigenous mission. It will have an orbiter for remote sensing the Moon and also a Lander-Rover module for analysis of the lunar surface. Special moments that will be etched in the annals of our glorious history!" he said.

The prime minister also shared pictures of him watching the launch on a large screen.