Chandrayaan-3 makes two-thirds of moon journey, lunar orbit entry on Saturday evening

The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft has completed approximately two-thirds of its journey to the moon, and a significant Lunar Orbit Injection (LOI) is slated for August 5 around 7:00pm, as confirmed by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday.

In a successful perigee burn conducted by ISRO on Tuesday midnight, the spacecraft's orbit was elevated to bring it within the moon's gravitational influence. It cruised in an orbit 288 kilometres nearest to Earth and 3,69,328 kilometres at its farthest point.

India's moon mission

The next pivotal stage is the LOI manoeuvre, a meticulous navigation process guiding the spacecraft into the moon's orbit. By around August 23, a historic moment for India is expected – a soft landing near the moon's south pole, positioning India as the fourth nation to achieve this feat and the first at the lunar south pole.

Next stop Moon!

As Chandrayaan-3 nears its lunar destination, the propulsion module will progressively lower its altitude. Throughout the first week of August, the craft is set to complete 5-6 orbits around the moon, gradually transitioning to a circular 100-kilometre orbit. Over the following ten days, a precise landing site within the moon's south pole area will be determined. Subsequently, the lander will deorbit and initiate a soft landing attempt.

ISRO remains attentive to the lunar landing schedule, considering factors such as the moon's sunrise. If required, the landing may be rescheduled for September. With each accomplished milestone, India's Chandrayaan-3 mission continues its journey towards an unprecedented lunar landing achievement.

What are Chandrayaan-3's objectives?

Chandrayaan-3 aims to accomplish almost the same objectives as its predecessor, Chandrayaan-2:

1) Successfully demonstrate a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface.

2) Showcase the mobility of the Rover on the Moon's terrain.

3) Conduct in-situ scientific experiments on the lunar surface.