Save the date: Chandrayaan-3 lunar-orbit insertion on August 5

India's third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, has achieved a major milestone by successfully completing its orbits around the Earth and is now positioned in the translunar orbit. The Lunar-Orbit Insertion (LOI) is scheduled for August 5, 2023, Girish Linganna explains

Girish Linganna

First Published Aug 1, 2023, 5:07 PM IST | Last Updated Aug 1, 2023, 5:07 PM IST

Two weeks after being launched from Sriharikota, Chandrayaan-3 -- India's third mission to the Moon -- has successfully completed orbits around the Earth and is now on its way towards the Moon. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) confirmed that the spacecraft has been fired into a new orbit that will take it to the moon. This was done by firing the perigee engine, which is like a rocket that helps the spacecraft go faster. The spacecraft will now orbit the moon for a few days before it lands on the surface.

The national space agency announced that they successfully performed a 'perigee-firing' manoeuvre at ISTRAC (ISRO Telemetry, Tracking, and Command Network). This manoeuvre helped place the spacecraft into the 'translunar orbit', which means it is now heading towards the Moon.

'Perigee' refers to the point in the spacecraft's orbit where it is closest to the Earth, and 'perigee-firing' means they executed a propulsion manoeuvre at this point to propel the spacecraft towards the Moon. The 'translunar orbit' is the path that will take the spacecraft from Earth to the Moon.

When it reaches the Moon, there is a planned manoeuvre called 'Lunar-Orbit Insertion (LOI)' scheduled for August 5, 2023. The LOI is a critical operation where the spacecraft will fire its engines to slow down and enter into a stable orbit around the Moon. This manoeuvre is essential for the spacecraft to start conducting its scientific observations and studies of the lunar surface.

The spacecraft's "translunar injection" means it received a boost or push to move away from the Earth's gravity and start heading towards the Moon. As it moves along this new path, it will get closer to the Moon's vicinity, preparing for its upcoming manoeuvres around the Moon. As per the space agency's statement, they are planning to make a soft landing attempt of the lander on the lunar surface on August 23. After the Chandrayaan-3 mission to the Moon was launched on July 14, the spacecraft's orbit was raised gradually five times.

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