India launches rocket to land spacecraft on Moon

India on Friday launched a rocket seeking to land an unmanned spacecraft on the surface of the Moon, its second attempt to become only the fourth country to do so. The rocket lifted off from Sriharikota in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh carrying the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, as thousands of enthusiasts clapped and cheered.

Only Russia, the United States and China have previously achieved a controlled landing on the lunar surface. The mission comes with a price tag of $74.6 million -- far smaller than those of other countries', and a testament to India's frugal space engineering.