Chandrayaan-3 Successfully Lowers Lunar Orbit, Send Moon Pics Back Home

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The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, India’s third lunar mission, has achieved a significant milestone as it successfully lowered its lunar orbit, bringing it closer to its intended soft landing on the Moon. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) confirmed that the spacecraft’s health is normal, and the next operation is scheduled for August 9, followed by the landing attempt on August 23.

The spacecraft’s engines were retrofitted to lower its orbit to 170 km x 4,313 km around the Moon’s surface. The next operation on August 9 will further reduce the orbit, gradually positioning Chandrayaan-3 in a 100 km lunar orbit and aligning it with the lunar poles.

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

The Chandrayaan-3 mission has been marked by several successful milestones:

1. July 6: ISRO announced the launch date for Mission Chandrayaan-3, set for July 14.

2. July 14: Chandrayaan-3 was launched into its designated orbit by the LVM3 M4 vehicle.

3. August 1: The spacecraft was inserted into the translunar orbit, reaching an orbit of 288 km x 369,328 km.

4. August 5: Chandrayaan-3 achieved successful insertion into the lunar orbit, reaching the intended orbit of 164 km x 18,074 km.

5. August 6: The spacecraft’s orbit was further lowered to 170 km x 4,313 km around the Moon.

As the mission progresses, the spacecraft will determine a precise landing site near the Moon’s south pole. Subsequently, the propulsion module will detach from the lander while in orbit, and the lander will make a soft landing attempt. A series of intricate braking maneuvers will be executed to facilitate a soft landing in the Moon’s South Polar region on August 23, at 5:47 pm.

ISRO is closely monitoring the lunar landing schedule, taking factors like the Moon’s sunrise into consideration. If necessary, the landing may be rescheduled for September. With each milestone achieved, India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission edges closer to an unprecedented lunar landing accomplishment.

As the mission unfolds, the entire world eagerly awaits the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3, which will mark another milestone in India’s space exploration journey.