Chandrayaan-3 update: All details about ISRO's Lunar orbit manoeuvre

The landing of Chandrayaan-3 on 23 August will be a huge accomplishment for ISRO and India. If accomplished, the landing will take place close to the difficult terrain of the moon's South Pole

ISRO has released the first pictures of the moon captured by the cameras of the Chandrayaan-3 space probe. The spacecraft took the pictures after entering the moon's orbit on Saturday. The 40-second clip provides a glimpse at the complex details of the moon's craters. The Indian Space Research Research Organisation (ISRO) said Chandrayaan-3 caught these pictures during Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) on August 5. 

The moon mission has been smooth up to this point, and the ISRO anticipates that the Vikram Lander should make a soft landing on the lunar surface later on August 23. 

India's Chandrayaan-3 mission performed its second moon-bound manoeuvre on Wednesday. The vital occasion to additionally change its orbit around the moon was planned to be performed somewhere between 1:00 and 2:00 pm.  

This milestone was part of the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) well-defined plan to lessen the spacecraft's orbit ahead of its scheduled soft landing on the moon on August 23. Chandrayaan-3 has been sailing smoothly since its launch and crossing many important milestones in its path. On August 1, it was effectively inserted into the translunar orbit, arriving at an orbit of 288 km x 369328 km.

Only four days later, on August 5, it accomplished one more significant achievement by effectively entering the lunar circle, accomplishing the planned orbit of 164 km x 18074 km.

Chandrayaan 3: Overview

The Chandrayaan-3 mission, launched on July 14 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota by ISRO, went into lunar orbit on August 5. As the mission goes on, a progression of manoeuvres is being led by ISRO to continuously reduce Chandrayaan-3's orbit and position it over the lunar poles. 

The space agency had said that it would endeavor a soft landing of the lander on the lunar surface on August 23. India will be the fourth nation after the US, Russia, and China to accomplish this. 

Chandrayaan-3 is equipped with multiple electronic and mechanical subsystems planned to guarantee a protected and safe soft landing, with advanced navigation sensors, direction, propulsion systems, and control among others. Furthermore, there are instruments for the release of Rover, two-way communication-related antennas, and other locally onboard electronics. 

The stated goals of Chandrayaan-3 are protection and soft landing, rover roving on the moon's surface, and in-situ scientific trials.
 

What is the latest update on the Chandrayaan-3 mission? 

As per ISRO, there will be two more orbit decrease manoeuvres to carry the spacecraft nearer to the Moon.

These manoeuvres will be performed on August 14 and 16 to arrive at a 100 km orbit, which will be the arrival module, after which the lander and rover will split away from the propulsion module.

Post this, the lander is supposed to go through a "deboost" (the most common way of slowing down) and make a soft landing on the south polar region of the Moon on August 23.

ISRO Chief Somanath stated on Chandrayaan-3 that “If everything fails, if all the sensors fail, nothing works, still it (Vikram) will make a landing. That’s how it has been designed- provided that the propulsion system works well". 

What is the important part of the Chandrayaan-3?

Chandrayaan-3 faces a crucial test: diminishing its level speed of around 1.68km/s (6,048km/hr), changing its direction to accomplish an upward direction, and eventually accomplishing a soft lunar touchdown while continuously decreasing its speed to nothing – portrayed as the "most critical task" by ISRO Chief S Somanath. 

The Chandrayaan's next operation to additionally decrease the orbit is planned for August 14, somewhere between 11:30 and 12:30 Hrs IST.