If things go as planned, Chandrayaan-3 will become the first-ever lunar mission in the world to make a soft-landing on the south pole of the Moon.
Credit: X/@isro
Chandrayaan-3 has moved closer to the Moon, with the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) further reducing the spacecraft’s altitude on Wednesday.
The Isro Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network here performed the orbit-lowering manoeuvre, the second after the spacecraft was inserted into the lunar orbit on August 5, to achieve a 174 km x 1437 km orbit.
“Even closer to the Moon’s surface. Chandrayaan-3’s orbit is reduced to 174 km x 1437 km following a manoeuvre performed today,” Isro said.
The next orbit-lowering operation is scheduled for August 14, between 11.30 am and 12.30 pm. The operation, followed by another manoeuvre scheduled on August 16, will lower the spacecraft to a 100 km x 100 km orbit.
The space agency has scheduled the separation of the lander module from the propulsion module on August 17.
Chandrayaan-3, launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on July 14, is set for a landing on the Moon on August 23.
Isro Chairman S Somanath said on Tuesday that the spacecraft’s lander was designed to handle multiple failures.
Functional propulsion systems will enable the landing even if the sensors fail, he said during a virtual lecture hosted by NGO Disha Bharat.