ISRO successfully completes final lunar-bound operation on Chandrayaan-3
Chandrayaan-3 is getting closer to the lunar landing. Today, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully performed the fifth and final lunar-bound operation on the spacecraft. The mission is now in the intended 153x163km orbit. The next operation is scheduled for tomorrow, which involves the crucial separation of the landing module from the propulsion module.
All five lunar-bound operations on Chandrayaan-3 have been completed
The upcoming module separation operation will be a crucial one
Tomorrow's operation will be a crucial one for Chandrayaan-3. Following the module separation, ISRO will bring the lander module, which comprises Vikram lander and Pragyan rover, into an elliptical orbit. Subsequent de-boost maneuvers will position the lander module in an orbit where the Perilune (closest point to the Moon) is 30km and Apolune (farthest point from the Moon) is 100km.
Lunar landing is planned for August 23
Chandrayaan-3 is now just a week away from landing on the Moon. The landing is expected to happen on August 23, which will mark an end to the mission's roughly 40-day journey. If the mission manages to achieve the targeted soft landing on the Moon, it will be a significant feat. India will become the fourth nation to have achieved that milestone.