Isro is set to create history as Chandrayaan-3 inches closer to landing on the Moon. In the latest update, the country's space exploration body said the fifth and final lunar bound manoeuvre has been completed after a “successful firing” on Wednesday.
“Today’s successful firing, needed for a short duration, has put Chandrayaan-3 into an orbit of 153 km x 163 km, as intended,” said Isro in a statement.
Isro said the Propulsion and Lander modules are set to break away and go on their separate journeys, which is scheduled for Thursday, August 17. After the modules are separated, the lander is expected to undergo a "deboost" (the process of slowing down) before touching down on the Moon.
Chandrayaan-3, which was launched on July 14, is expected to make a soft landing on the lunar south pole at 5.47 pm on August 23. Once landed, rover deployed from the lander will conduct in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface during its 14-day life.
ISRO Chairman S Somnath earlier said the most critical part of the lunar landing is the process of bringing the velocity of the lander from 30 km height to the final landing. He added that the tricky situation in this process is moving the spacecraft from horizontal to vertical direction.
Following the launch, the spacecraft completed five Earth-bound manoeuvres between July 15 and 25. After entering the lunar orbit on August 5, the spacecraft underwent three successive orbit reduction maneouvres on August 6, 9 and 14.
The Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload in the propulsion module will study the spectral and polarimetric measurements of Earth from the lunar orbit. The mission objectives of Chandrayaan-3 are to demonstrate safe and soft landing on the lunar surface, to demonstrate rover roving on the Moon, and to conduct in-situ scientific experiments, according to Isro.
– with PTI inputs
