Chandrayaan-3 to escape Earth's orbit soon: Here's when it will land on moon
Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14, a follow-up mission to Chandrayaan-2, which failed at achieving soft landing on lunar surface in September 2019.
Chandrayaan-3 is inching closer to moon's orbital path, from where it will descend towards the lunar surface gradually, to attempt a soft landing on August 23, Union minister Jitendra Singh gave an update on the mission Sunday.
"After escaping the Earth's orbit, it will move into the Moon's orbital path (after being pulled by its gravity)…it will gradually descend towards its surface…after reaching the orbit by approximately first week of August…then it will scan the environment to assess that which part of south pole of the lunar surface is suitable for landing…and it will then land on August 23."
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Orbital manoeuvre
India's third moon mission, launched July 14, successfully completed its fourth orbit-raising manoeuvre Thursday and will attempt its next orbit-raising manoeuvre on July 25 between 2 pm and 3 pm. ISRO is conducting a series of orbit-raising manoeuvres to gradually move the spacecraft into higher and higher orbits before beginning to move directly towards the moon. Then it will, gradually descend into lower and lower orbits around the moon. This process will continue till it reaches a circular orbit about 100 km from the lunar surface, from where it will attempt the final descent aimed at soft landing on August 23.
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ISRO Chairman S. Somnath said earlier that earth-bound manoeuvres would be conducted till July 31 and around August 1, it will enter the lunar orbit.
Follow-up of Chandrayaan-2
The mission follows nearly four years after Chandrayaan-2, which failed a desired soft landing on the lunar surface nearly four years ago in September 2019. Chandrayaan-3 mission consists of the main objectives of exhibiting end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface.
The successful soft landing of this mission will make India the fourth nation to have done it after the United States, the former Soviet Union and China.
