Chandrayaan-2 enters Lunar Transfer Trajectory for journey to Moon's orbit

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Wednesday successfully conducted final orbit raising manoeuvre of Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft. It was carried out at 02:21 am IST. 

With this, Chandrayaan-2 entered the Lunar Transfer Trajectory.

During this maneuver, the spacecraft's liquid engine was fired for about 1203 seconds. Earlier, the spacecraft's orbit was progressively increased five times during July 23 to August 6, 2019.

The health of the spacecraft is being continuously monitored from the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru with support from Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) antennas at Byalalu, near Bengaluru. 

Since its launch on July 22, 2019 by GSLV MkIII-M1 vehicle, all systems onboard Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft are performing normal, said Isro officials. 

Chandrayaan-2 will approach Moon on August 20, 2019 and the spacecraft's liquid engine will be fired again to insert the spacecraft into a lunar orbit. Following this, there will be further four orbit maneuvers to make the spacecraft enter into its final orbit passing over the lunar poles at a distance of about 100 km from the Moon’s surface.

Subsequently, Vikram lander will separate from the orbiter on September 2, 2019.  Two orbit maneuvers will be performed on the lander before the initiation of powered descent to make a soft landing on the lunar surface on September 7, 2019, said Isro.

Tentative plan for future operation after Trans Lunar Injection are as follows,

 

Date

Time

Orbit around moon

LOI/LBN#1

August 20, 2019

8:30-9:30

118  X  18078

LBN#2

August 21, 2019

12:30 – 13:30

121 X 4303

LBN#3

August 28, 2019

05:30 – 06:30

178 X 1411

LBN#4

August 30, 2019

18:00 – 19:00

126 X 164

LBN#5

September 01, 2019

18:00 – 19:00

114 X 128