India’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft has made significant progress towards its anticipated soft landing on the moon, as it effectively executed a planned orbit reduction maneuver, lowering its lunar orbit. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) confirmed the craft’s good health.
The spacecraft’s engines were retrofitted to bring it nearer to the moon’s surface, adjusting its orbit to 170 km x 4,313 km. Another orbit reduction operation is slated for August 9, between 13:00 and 14:00 hours IST.
Chandrayaan-3’s journey has marked several key milestones:
- Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) on July 14, placing the spacecraft in the moon’s orbit and freeing it from Earth’s gravity.
- Successful orbit-raising maneuvers, gradually adjusting its path towards the moon.
- Insertion into the translunar orbit on August 1, achieving an orbit of 288 km x 369,328 km.
- Accomplishing a major triumph on August 5 by successfully entering the lunar orbit, achieving an intended orbit of 164 km x 18,074 km.
Future Steps in the Chandrayaan-3 Mission: The mission will proceed with a series of maneuvers to position Chandrayaan-3 in a 100km lunar orbit and align it with the moon’s poles.
In the coming days, the landing site near the moon’s south pole will be precisely determined. The propulsion module will then detach from the lander while in orbit. Subsequently, the lander will descend from orbit to attempt a soft landing.
The intricate process involves braking maneuvers to achieve a gentle landing in the Moon’s South Polar region on August 23, at 5:47pm. ISRO is closely monitoring the lunar landing schedule, with a potential rescheduling to September if required.
With each successful milestone, India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission is progressing toward a remarkable lunar landing achievement.
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