“Successful Completion of Chandrayaan-3’s Final Lunar Orbit Maneuver”

Chandrayaan-3 Updates: Separation of the lander module from the propulsion module of the spacecraft is planned for August 17, ISRO said

India’s ambitious third Moon mission, Chandrayaan-3, has achieved a significant milestone. On Wednesday, the spacecraft successfully performed its fifth and final orbit adjustment maneuver directed towards the Moon. This successful maneuver has brought the spacecraft even closer to the lunar surface. With this accomplishment, Chandrayaan-3 has concluded its planned maneuvers to approach the Moon and will now proceed to the next phases of its mission.

The spacecraft’s propulsion module and lander module are now set to detach from each other, entering a new phase of their individual journeys. The propulsion module will guide Chandrayaan-3 further, while the lander module prepares for its own mission.

ISRO, the Indian Space Research Organisation, shared this achievement on Twitter, announcing that the recent maneuver has placed Chandrayaan-3 in an orbit of 153 km by 163 km around the Moon, meeting its intended objective. This marks the completion of lunar-bound maneuvers, and the spacecraft is now geared up for the separation and independent journeys of the propulsion module and lander module

Chandrayaan-3 Mission:

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.

It’s time for preparations as the Propulsion Module and the Lander Module… pic.twitter.com/0Iwi8GrgVR

— ISRO (@isro) August 16, 2023

The spacecraft’s lander module is scheduled to detach from the propulsion module on August 17, according to the statement.

After being launched on July 14, Chandrayaan-3 successfully entered the lunar orbit on August 5. Subsequently, three consecutive maneuvers were performed on August 6, 9, and 14 to gradually reduce the spacecraft’s orbit and bring it into closer proximity with the Moon.

Chandrayaan-3 is scheduled to make a soft landing on the south polar region of the Moon on August 23.

By VIBHUTI KATARE