An illustration displaying ISRO’s ‘Chandrayaan-3’ throughout its orbit reduction manoeuvre. Precise manoeuvre carried out in the present day has achieved a near-circular orbit of 150 km x 177 km.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on August 14 efficiently carried out one other orbit reduction manoeuvre of India’s third moon mission Chandrayaan-3.
The manoeuvre was carried out from ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru. The spacecraft is now simply 177 km away from the moon.
“Orbit circularisation phase commences. Precise manoeuvre performed today has achieved a near-circular orbit of 150 km x 177 km. The next operation is planned for August 16, 2023, around 0830 Hrs. IST,” ISRO mentioned after the manoeuvre. The fifth and closing orbit reduction manoeuvre might be carried out on August 16.
The Chandrayaan-3 launched on July 14 consists of a lander module (LM), a propulsion module (PM) and a rover.
“As the mission progresses, a series of manoeuvers have been planned to gradually reduce Chandrayaan-3’s orbit and position it over the lunar poles. After some manoeuvers, the propulsion module will separate from the lander while in orbit. Following that, a series of complex braking maneuvers will be executed to facilitate a soft landing in the South Polar region of the Moon on August 23, 2023,” ISRO mentioned after the Lunar Orbit Insertion on August 5.
The PM and LM separation would occur on August 17. A collection of deboost manoeuvres can be scheduled to happen earlier than the ability descent part for soft-landing on the moon. The lander is predicted to contact down on the moon floor on August 23 at 5.47 p.m.
