After this, the lander is expected to undergo a “deboost” (the process of slowing down) and make a soft landing on the south polar region of the Moon on August 23.
India’s ambitious third lunar spacecraft, Chandrayaan-3, performed another maneuver on Monday that brought it even closer to the lunar surface, ISRO said. The national space agency, which is headquartered here, said the spacecraft had now entered a “near-circular orbit” around the moon. After launching on July 14, Chandrayaan-3 reached lunar orbit on August 5, followed by two de-orbit missions on August 6 and 9.
Precision Orbital Maneuver ISRO achieves circular orbit at 150 km x 177 km.
Upcoming Surgery Next maneuver planned for Aug. 16 at 8:30 a.m.
Lowering Orbit Gradually Series of maneuvers to position Chandrayaan-3 over Moon’s poles.
100 km Orbit Maneuver Craft to shift to 100 km orbit on Aug. 16, followed by lander and rover separation.
Landing Process Lander’s “deboost” for soft landing in Moon’s south polar region on Aug. 23.
Challenges in Landing Transition from horizontal to vertical crucial; simulations and algorithm adjustments made for success.
Journey to Moon Chandrayaan-3 launched on July 14, maneuvers away from Earth, lunar injection on Aug. 1.
Mission Purpose Follow-up to Chandrayaan-2, demonstrates safe landing, orbiting, and interplanetary tech.
Propulsion Module Carries lander, rover, and payload SHAPE for Earth studies from lunar orbit.
Scientific Goals Safe landing, rover operation, on-site experiments, chemical analysis of Moon’s surface.
Lunar Exploration Lander and rover equipped with scientific payloads for surface experiments.
Ratnavali