Chandrayaan-3, India's lunar mission, is gearing up for a historic landing on the Moon's south pole on August 23 at approximately 6:04 pm Indian time. This significant event follows a series of meticulous preparations and successful operations by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
ISRO recently shared images captured by the Lunar Hazard Detection and Avoidance Camera (LHDAC) on the Vikram lander. These images depict the lunar far side area and serve a crucial purpose in identifying a secure landing site for Chandrayaan-3. The LHDAC's role is to pinpoint a location that is free of hazardous obstacles such as boulders and deep trenches, ensuring a safe descent for the spacecraft.
Here's a summary of Chandrayaan-3's journey so far:
July 6: ISRO announced that Chandrayaan-3 would launch on July 14 from Sriharikota's second launch pad in Andhra Pradesh.
July 7: Successful completion of all vehicle electrical tests.
July 11: A 24-hour 'Launch Rehearsal' was conducted successfully.
July 14: Chandrayaan-3 was launched into its intended orbit by ISRO's LVM3 M4.
July 15: The mission's first orbit-raising maneuver succeeded in Bengaluru, placing the spacecraft in an orbit of 41,762 km x 173 km.
July 17: The second orbit-raising maneuver positioned Chandrayaan-3 in an orbit of 41,603 km x 226 km.
July 22: The fourth orbit-raising maneuver, Earth-bound perigee firing, placed the spacecraft in a 71,351 km x 233 km orbit.
July 25: Another successful orbit-raising maneuver was performed.
August 1: Chandrayaan-3 entered the translunar orbit, reaching an orbit of 288 km x 369,328 km.
August 5: The spacecraft entered lunar orbit at 164 km x 18,074 km.
August 6: The orbit was lowered to 170 km x 4,313 km around the Moon.
August 9: A maneuver further lowered the spacecraft's orbit to 174 km x 1,437 km.
August 14: The mission entered the orbit circularization phase at 151 km x 179 km.
August 16: The spacecraft achieved an orbit of 153 km x 163 km after a firing.
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August 17: The landing module, comprising the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover, separated from its propulsion system.
August 18: Chandrayaan-3 successfully completed a 'deboosting' operation, reducing its orbit to 113 km x 157 km. Deboosting is the process of slowing down to position the spacecraft in an orbit where its closest point to the Moon (Perilune) is 30 km and the farthest point (the Apolune) is 100 km.
August 20: Chandrayaan-3 conducted the second and final deboosting operation, further reducing the landing module's orbit to 25 km x 134 km.
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If all goes according to plan, Chandrayaan-3 is set to make its historic lunar landing on August 23. The world watches with bated breath as ISRO's meticulous preparations and precise execution bring this remarkable mission to its much-anticipated culmination.
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