Chandrayaan-3 has got a lot closer to Moon's surface: Isro

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft moved closer to the Moon's surface on Wednesday after it underwent another orbit reduction manoeuvre, Isro said.

India's ambitious third Moon mission's spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 after the launch on July 14, had entered into lunar orbit or the Moon's orbit on August 5.

"Even closer to the Moon's surface. Chandrayaan-3's orbit is reduced to 174 km x 1,437 km following a manoeuvre performed today," Isro said in a tweet.

The next operation is scheduled for August 14, between 11.30 am and 12.30 pm, Isro said. A similar orbit reduction manoeuvre was carried out by the Isro on Sunday.

As the mission progresses, a series of manoeuvres is being conducted by Isro to gradually reduce Chandrayaan-3's orbit and position it over the lunar poles.

According to Isro sources, there will be two more orbit reduction manoeuvres to bring the spacecraft closer to the Moon.

These manoeuvres will be performed on August 14 and 16 to reach 100 km orbit, following which the landing module, comprising the lander and rover will break away from the propulsion module.

After this, the lander is expected to undergo a "de-boost" (the process of slowing down) and make a soft landing on the south polar region of the Moon on August 23.

Over five moves in the three weeks since the July 14 launch, Isro had lifted the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft into orbits farther and farther away from the Earth.

Then, on August 1 in a key manoeuvre – a slingshot move – the spacecraft was sent successfully towards the Moon from Earth's orbit.

Following this trans-lunar injection, the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft escaped from orbiting the Earth and began following a path that would take it to the vicinity of the Moon.