Chandrayaan-3 just 177 kilometers far from the Moon's surface

Chandrayaan-3 just 177 kilometers far from the Moon’s surface

ISRO has revealed that the next operation for Chandrayaan-3 is scheduled for August 16

OpEd Desk August 16, 2023

Chandrayaan 3: India’s ambitious third Moon mission’s spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 on Wednesday successfully underwent a fifth and final Moon-bound orbit maneouvre, bringing it even closer to the lunar surface. With this, the spacecraft has completed its lunar-bound maneouvres and it will now prepare for the propulsion module and the lander module separation, ISRO said.

“Today’s successful firing, needed for a short duration, has put Chandrayaan-3 into an orbit of 153 km x 163 km, as intended. With this, the lunar bound maneuvres are completed.”

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Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 mission conducted the final lunar-bound manoeuvre at 8.30 am on August 16, the space agency announced on X, ahead of the lander’s separation from the propulsion module which is scheduled for August 17.

After a 40-day journey, which commenced on July 14, the spacecraft is projected to touch down on the Moon on August 23. Ever since it’s take off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, all eyes have been on ISRO’s moon mission, the completion of which will make India the fourth nation to have made a controlled lunar landing after the US, China, and Russia.

Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
Orbit circularisation phase commences

Precise maneuvre performed today has achieved a near-circular orbit of 150 km x 177 km

The next operation is planned for August 16, 2023, around 0830 Hrs. IST pic.twitter.com/LlU6oCcOOb

— ISRO (@isro) August 14, 2023

Success mission of Chandrayaan 3

The success of Chandrayaan-3 mission is critical to India’s global position in the space exploration sector. The mission’s successful completion will not just give India an edge over other nations in the world, but also open up a plethora of avenues for lunar and space explorations.

Following the separation, the propulsion module will continue its orbit around the Moon, while the lander will undergo a “deboost” process involving a series of intricate braking maneuvers.

These maneuvers are designed to gradually slow down the lander and carefully position it for a soft landing on the lunar surface.

Moon landing of Chandrayaan 3

The moon mission was launched on 14 July and successfully entered lunar orbit on 5 August. Subsequently, four lunar-bound maneuvers were executed on 5, 6, 9, and 14 August to refine the spacecraft’s trajectory.

According to current projections, the lander is anticipated to make contact with the lunar surface at 5.47 pm on 23 August.