Chandrayaan-3 only 4,313km away from Moon, landing on August 23
What's the story
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully completed the orbit reduction maneuver on Chandrayaan-3 on Sunday.
The spacecraft is now only about 4,313km away from the Moon.
The next operation, which aims to further reduce the orbit of the spacecraft, is set for August 9, between 1:00-2:00pm IST. After that, three more Moon-bound maneuvers will be performed until August 17.
Details
Chandrayaan-3 will land on the Moon on August 23
Following Moon-bound maneuvers, the landing module—including the lander and rover—will separate from the propulsion module, leading to de-orbiting maneuvers. Finally, Chandrayaan-3 will attempt a soft landing on August 23.
The propulsion module carries a payload that can make spectral and polarimetric measurements of Earth from lunar orbit. The lander can soft land on the lunar surface and deploy the rover for in-situ chemical analysis.
What Next?
Chandrayaan-3 will mark a crucial milestone if successful
A successful soft landing and roving by Chandrayaan-3 would have significant scientific implications and demonstrate India's space exploration capabilities.
The lander and rover are carrying scientific payloads for performing experiments on the lunar surface, such as mineralogy studies, and seismic activity measurements.
These experiments will offer valuable insights into the Moon's evolution and could pave the way for future space missions.
Twitter Post
Chandrayaan-3 captured stunning lunar views during orbit insertion
The Moon, as viewed by #Chandrayaan3 spacecraft during Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) on August 5, 2023.#ISRO pic.twitter.com/xQtVyLTu0c
— LVM3-M4/CHANDRAYAAN-3 MISSION (@chandrayaan_3) August 6, 2023