Bengaluru: 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.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is embarking to achieve a successful soft landing on the Moon with the launch of Chandrayaan-3. The spacecraft is now primed for its scheduled moon landing on August 23. This endeavor places India on track to become the fourth nation globally to achieve this remarkable milestone, joining the company of the United States, Russia, and China.
“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 gear up for their separate journeys,” the national space agency tweeted.
For the Chandrayaan-3 mission, ISRO has expanded the landing area and has chosen a spot with a 4km x 2.4 km area, instead of a 500 square metre.
The ISRO scientists have added more fuel to the lander this time.
Changes have been with the lander’s design. The lander has no thrusters and will operate on four thrusters only. Its legs have also been made stronger to absorb the impact of landing.
The mission was launched effectively on July 14 via the GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota. It is poised to touch down on the moon’s exterior come August 23. It represents India’s third lunar expedition and its second endeavor to achieve a delicate landing on the Moon’s terrain.