Fact check: Did flight passengers truly witness Chandrayaan-3 launch?

In a recent viral video circulating on social media platforms, netizens have been sharing visuals claiming them to be the recent launch of Chandrayaan-3.

Hyderabad: In a recent viral video circulating on social media platforms, netizens have been sharing visuals claiming them to be the recent launch of Chandrayaan-3. However, a fact-check reveals that the video in question can be traced back to at least December 2022 and has no connection to the Chandrayaan-3 mission whatsoever.

The misleading claims accompanying the video suggest that passengers aboard an IndiGo flight from Chennai to Dhaka witnessed the Chandrayaan-3 launch. However, these assertions are baseless and lack any factual evidence to support them.

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Upon closer examination, it becomes apparent that the video is neither recent nor does it depict the launch of Chandrayaan-3. Instead, it can be attributed to the launch of SpaceX Falcon 9, a completely unrelated event. The video was originally uploaded on a Facebook page named ‘NasaNet’ on December 24, 2022.

https://fb.watch/lRZSq1DWL3/

Interestingly, the false narrative associated with the video bears a striking resemblance to a report published by The Independent back in December 2022.

The article, titled “Passengers see SpaceX rocket launch from plane window,” https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/passengers-see-spacex-rocket-launch-from-plane-window-b2246749.html featured visuals similar to the misleading video. According to The Independent’s report, passengers aboard a plane flying past Florida were fortunate enough to witness the awe-inspiring launch of a SpaceX rocket.

The viral video purporting to show the recent launch of Chandrayaan-3 is an old and unrelated clip from a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch in December 2022.