The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) informed that Chandrayaan-3 is moving towards its ambitious goal. The spacecraft successfully completed its second orbit attempt. It then entered a new and higher orbit around Earth.
Last Friday (July 14) Chandrayaan-3 was launched towards the moon on a ‘Baahubali’ rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sri Harikota, Andhra Pradesh. If everything goes well, the spacecraft will land on the lunar surface 40 days from now, between August 23 and 24.
On Saturday, Chandrayaan-3 entered Earth’s orbit for the first time and started orbiting. At that time, its maximum distance from the earth was 41 thousand 762 km. And the minimum distance was only 173 km. It then entered the second orbit around noon on Monday (July 17).
After orbiting the Earth five times, this spacecraft will move towards the Moon. On July 31, Chandrayaan-3 will pass ten times the distance from Earth.
Scientists will continue to increase the distance by changing the apogee. The distance will continue to increase until it reaches a distance of about 100,000 km from Earth. After reaching here, scientists will place Chandrayaan-3 in a translunar insertion slingshot into a solar orbit at the prescribed distance to the Moon.
The Propulsion Module will travel in this long orbit for five days. It will then separate from the lander. Chandrayaan-3 will be in the lunar orbit insertion phase from August 5 to 6.
Then the propulsion system of Chandrayaan-3 will be launched. It will be forwarded to the moon. That is, it will be sent to an orbit 100 km above the moon. The propulsion system will separate from Chandrayaan-3’s lander and rover on August 17.
After detaching the landing propulsion module, the lander will be brought into a 100*300 km orbit of the Moon. For this the speed will be reduced i.e. the deboosting process will continue. This process will start on August 23. This is the most difficult process. Landing on the lunar surface will begin from this stage.