Chandrayaan-3: Vikram Lander's second and final lunar deboosting successful; Moon landing on August 23
By Team Newsable | First Published Aug 20, 2023, 9:49 AM ISTThe Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has shared new updates on its historic mission Chandrayaan-3 as the spacecraft inches closer to the Moon gradually. Chandrayaan-3 will make its first soft-landing attempt to the Moon's south pole region on 23 August.
Chandrayaan-3's second and final de-boosting procedure was successfully performed as scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) keenly watched the crucial period before the spacecraft's Wednesday lunar surface landing. The lander Vikram has set up shop in an orbit with a 25 km close approach and a 134 km distant approach to the Moon. It will attempt a gentle landing in the uncharted south polar area of the Moon on Wednesday from this orbit, according to ISRO.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
The second and final deboosting operation has successfully reduced the LM orbit to 25 km x 134 km.
The module would undergo internal checks and await the sun-rise at the designated landing site.
The powered descent is expected to commence on August… pic.twitter.com/7ygrlW8GQ5
The lander Vikram has been descending in the Moon's orbit in an automated mode; it has been deciding on its own how to go about its functions. A successful Moon landing will make India the historic fourth country to have achieved this feat.
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On Thursday, the lander module separated from the propulsion module that had carried it all the way from Earth. Now that it is in orbit, the propulsion module will stay there for weeks, months, or possibly years while studying the environment and measuring the polarisation of light from clouds.
The lander posted its initial Moon photographs on Thursday after the separation. After landing on the Moon, the Vikram lander will take pictures of the Pragyaan rover, which will investigate the chemical composition of the Moon's surface and look for water. It lasts for one lunar day, which is equal to 14 days on Earth. On July 14, the LVM3 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota launched Chandrayaan-3 into orbit. On August 5, it reached the lunar orbit.
Meanwhile, the Russian space agency Roscosmos said that a "emergency" was discovered on Saturday during a movement by the Luna-25 probe in preparation for its Moon landing.
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