Chandrayaan 3's historic journey: A timeline leading to epic south pole Moon landing

The primary objective of Chandrayaan-3 is to showcase its end-to-end landing and roving capabilities in the highlands near the Moon's south pole, while also conducting crucial in-situ experiments.

Team Newsable

First Published Aug 23, 2023, 6:16 PM IST

After a journey spanning over a month, Chandrayaan-3, launched via GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, on Wednesday (August 23) achieved a remarkable feat. On Wednesday, India's lunar mission made a touch down on the unexplored south pole of the Moon, effectively becoming the first country to achieve this milestone.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has revealed that the powered descent of the lander module, currently orbiting at 25km x 134km, is anticipated to commence at 5.45pm, with the touchdown expected at 6.04pm. The primary objective of Chandrayaan-3 is to showcase its end-to-end landing and roving capabilities in the highlands near the Moon's south pole, while also conducting crucial in-situ experiments.

History is made! Chandrayaan-3 lands on Moon

Here's a rundown of the key events in the Chandrayaan-3 mission timeline:

July 11, 2023: A comprehensive rehearsal simulating the entire launch preparation of Chandrayaan 3 was concluded, encompassing a 24-hour process.

July 14, 2023: Chandrayaan-3 took off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on a GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle at 2.35pm IST, initiating its journey towards the Moon.

July 15, 2023: The spacecraft successfully executed its first orbit-raising manoeuvre, transitioning it to a 41762 km x 173 km orbit.

July 17, 2023: The second orbit-raising manoeuvre was executed, placing the spacecraft into a 41603 km x 226 km orbit.

July 22, 2023: The fourth orbit-raising manoeuvre saw the completion of Earth-bound perigee firing, positioning Chandrayaan 3 in a 71351 km x 233 km orbit.

August 01, 2023: Chandrayaan 3 entered the translunar orbit at 288 km x 369328 km, entering the moon's sphere of influence.

August 05, 2023: Successfully inserted into lunar orbit, Chandrayaan-3 underwent a retro-burning at the Perilune, achieving an intended orbit of 164 km x 18074 km.

August 06, 2023: Planned orbit reduction manoeuvre positioned Chandrayaan 3 in the second orbit or Lunar Bound Phase 2, maintaining a distance of 170 km from the moon's surface at its closest point.

August 09, 2023: A manoeuvre resulted in reducing the spacecraft's orbit to 174 km x 1437 km.

August 14, 2023: The Chandrayaan mission transitioned into the orbit circularisation phase, settling the spacecraft into a near-circular orbit of 151 km x 179 km.

August 16, 2023: The lunar bound manoeuvres were accomplished, establishing the spacecraft in a 153 km x 163 km orbit following a necessary firing.

August 17, 2023: Successful separation of the lander module from the Propulsion Module marked a significant milestone.

August 19, 2023: The lander module underwent a successful deboosting operation, lowering its orbit to 113 km x 157 km.

August 20, 2023: A final deboosting operation brought the lander module orbit down to 25 km x 134 km. The powered descent is anticipated to commence on August 23, 2023, around 5.45pm IST.

August 23, 2023: Chandrayaan-3 lander Vikram touches down on the Moon's South Pole.

Last Updated Aug 23, 2023, 6:17 PM IST