Chandrayaan-3 completes orbit reduction; gets closer to the moon

Chandrayaan-3 completes orbit reduction; gets closer to the moon

The Indian Space Research Organisation's second attempt at a soft landing on the south-polar region of the Moon, Chandrayaan-3, has completed its fifth orbit reduction manoeuvre around the Moon.

Post the firing of the perigee engine, which accelerates the spacecraft, the Chandrayaan entered into an orbit around the Moon on August 5, continuing in the same orbit for a few days to further it's trajectory.

ISRO released two images taken by the Lander Horizontal Velocity Camera (LHVC) on August 10. The first image is of the Earth, taken by the camera on the day of launch. The second image is of the Moon, as captured by the LHVC on August 6.

It completed the third orbit reduction manoeuvre on August 9 and as of August 16, the Chandrayaan-3 successfully underwent the Final Orbit Reduction Manoeuvre and is only 163 km from the Moon. The ISRO plans to separate the landing module Vikram, which carries the rover Pragyaan, from the propulsion module on August 17.

The Chandrayaan-3 is scheduled for landing on lunar surface on August 23. This is ISRO's second mission with the same objective after the failure of Chandrayaan-2 in 2019, when the lander Vikram crashed on to the surface of the Moon.

Report by Saumya Singh

Graphics by Devika Mandaar