Chandrayaan-2 enters Moon orbit, now inching closer to landing site

The maneuver, dubbed Lunar Orbit Insertion, made one of the most complex parts of the mission as it required just the right approach velocity and altitude to transition into the lunar orbit.

A slight increase in velocity could have thrown Chandrayaan-2 off-track and into deep space, while a slower approach could have meant being pulled by the Moon and crashing into its surface.

The team at ISRO nailed the move to perfection by firing the on-board liquid engine-powered propulsion system of the craft.

They started the transition at 9:02 am and took about 29 minutes to place the craft successfully into the lunar orbit.

Now, the craft is orbiting the Moon, eventually heading to its final destination - the lunar South Pole.

ISRO says Chandrayaan-2 will now perform a series of orbit maneuvers to enter the final orbit passing over the lunar South Pole at a distance of about 100 km.

From here, the agency will perform the most complex move, which would see the lander detach and soft-land on the lunar surface with a series of braking operations.

The landing is scheduled for September 7.

After the lander settles, ISRO's six-wheeled rover, dubbed Pragyaan, will roll out and stroll on the lunar surface at a speed of 1 centimeter per second.

It will conduct several experiments, including on-site chemical analysis of the surface, in conjunction with the lander.

Meanwhile, the orbiter element of the mission will gather data from orbit and relay the same back to Earth.