ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 Executes Final Orbit Maneuver, Gears Up For Lander Module Separation
New Delhi, 16th August 2023: On Wednesday, the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, part of India’s ambitious third Moon mission, successfully executed its fifth and final orbit manoeuvre to reach the lunar surface. This significant accomplishment has propelled the spacecraft even closer to its intended destination. Having concluded its manoeuvres en route to the Moon, the spacecraft is now poised to embark on its next phase, which involves the separation of the propulsion module and the lander module, as indicated by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation).
The lander module is composed of two components: Vikram, the lander, and Pragyan, the rover.
The national space agency tweeted, “Today’s successful firing, which was of short duration, has positioned Chandrayaan-3 into its intended orbit of 153 km x 163 km. With this achievement, the lunar-bound manoeuvres have been successfully carried out. The Propulsion Module and the Lander Module are now gearing up for their respective independent journeys.” The separation of the lander module from the propulsion module is scheduled for August 17, according to the announcement.
Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14 and entered the lunar orbit on August 5. Subsequently, three consecutive orbit reduction manoeuvres took place on August 6, 9, and 14 to progressively bring the spacecraft closer to the Moon.
As the mission unfolds, ISRO is meticulously conducting a series of manoeuvres to gradually lower Chandrayaan-3’s orbit and align it with the lunar poles. The spacecraft is on track to achieve a gentle landing in the southern polar region of the Moon on August 23.
