India's Chandrayaan-3 completes Earth orbit, sets course for the Moon
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The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft follows up a failed attempt of its predecessor to orbit the Earth's Moon.
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An Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) rocket carrying the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft lifts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, an island off the coast of southern Andhra Pradesh state on July 14, 2023 (AFP)
India's ambitious unmanned space mission, Chandrayaan-3, has successfully completed its orbits around the Earth and is now en route to the Moon, according to a recent announcement by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
The spacecraft, comprising a lander, a propulsion module, and a lunar rover, was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on July 14.
ISRO, through its Telemetry, Tracking, and Command Network (ISTRAC), confirmed the spacecraft's successful injection into the translunar orbit after a well-executed perigee-firing. In a tweet late on Monday, the space agency declared, "ISRO has injected the spacecraft into the translunar orbit. Next stop: the Moon."
The Chandrayaan-3 mission is anticipated to reach the lunar orbit on August 5. Once there, the spacecraft will engage its engines once more to stabilize its orbit at approximately 60 miles above the Moon's surface. This stabilization is crucial for the subsequent stages of the mission.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
— ISRO (@isro) July 25, 2023
The orbit-raising maneuver (Earth-bound perigee firing) is performed successfully from ISTRAC/ISRO, Bengaluru.
The spacecraft is expected to attain an orbit of 127609 km x 236 km. The achieved orbit will be confirmed after the observations.
The next… pic.twitter.com/LYb4XBMaU3
As per the schedule, the separation of the lander from the spacecraft is planned for August 17. Subsequently, the much-anticipated landing on the Moon is expected to take place on August 23 at 17:47 local time (12:17 GMT). This key moment will mark a significant advancement in India's space exploration program.
The journey toward Chandrayaan-3's lunar mission has not been without challenges. Originally intended for a 2020 launch, the mission faced multiple postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of reforms in the Indian space sector. Nevertheless, the ISRO has successfully overcome these obstacles and is now closer than ever to achieving its lunar exploration goals.
It is worth noting that Chandrayaan-3's predecessor, Chandrayaan-2, reached the Moon's orbit on August 20, 2019. However, during its attempt to make a controlled descent to the lunar surface on September 6, the lander deviated from its intended trajectory and crashed at an altitude of 1.2 miles. Despite numerous efforts to restore communication with the lander, the ISRO eventually ceased its endeavors.
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