ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 Mission Reveals Stunning Lunar Surface Imagery Ahead Of Historic Landing
New Delhi, 18th August 2023: Approaching the lunar realm, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) unveiled captivating imagery of the moon’s surface, captured by a camera aboard the Chandrayaan-3 Lander Module (LM) on Friday.
This event follows the successful orientation of the LM, comprising the Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover, toward its destined lunar landing on August 23rd.
The sequence of visuals was taken after the separation of the Lander Module from the spacecraft’s Propulsion Module on the preceding Thursday.
ISRO disclosed these images on the platform now known as X (formerly Twitter), exhibiting moon craters identified in the pictures as ‘Fabry,’ ‘Giordano Bruno,’ and ‘Harkhebi J.’
Chandrayaan-3 Mission: Moon as documented by the Lander Position Detection Camera (LPDC) on August 15, 2023#Chandrayaan_3#Ch3 pic.twitter.com/nGgayU1QUS
— ISRO (@isro) August 18, 2023
These visuals were acquired on two distinct days: initially through the Lander Position Detection Camera (LPDC) on August 15, and subsequently through the Lander Imager (LI) Camera-1 on August 17.
ITS TRAJECTORY:
On the upcoming Friday, the Lander Module will transition to a lower orbit, strategically bringing it into closer proximity to the lunar surface for its intended gentle landing on the Moon’s southern pole on August 23rd.
A substantial deboosting manoeuvre for Vikram Lander is planned for Friday. This manoeuvre, scheduled for 4 pm, follows the successful separation of the lander from the Propulsion Module.
The lunar module (LM) effectively completed a deboosting manoeuvre, aligning its orbit to 113 km x 157 km. The next scheduled deboosting procedure is planned for August 20, 2023, at approximately 0200 hours.
HEALTH STATUS ‘NORMAL’:
ISRO’s most recent update affirms the LM’s ‘normal’ health and successful completion of a deboosting operation.
“The LM successfully underwent a deboosting operation, which adjusted its orbit to 113 km x 157 km. The second deboosting operation is slated for August 20, 2023, around 0200 Hrs. IST” reported the space agency.
Chandrayaan-3, the third mission within India’s lunar exploration series, commenced its voyage on July 14th this year, effectively entering lunar orbit on August 5th. With meticulous orbit adjustments underway, the mission is primed for a gentle landing attempt within 40 days of its launch.
