ISRO Confirms Chandrayaan-3 Mission Progressing Smoothly, All Systems Normal

Bengaluru: ISRO announced that the Chandrayaan-3 Mission is progressing smoothly, with all systems functioning as planned. The agency shared updates on X (formerly Twitter), revealing that the Lander Module payloads, including ILSA, RAMBHA, and ChaSTE, have been activated. Rover mobility operations have also commenced, and the SHAPE payload on the Propulsion Module was activated earlier.

Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
All activities are on schedule.
All systems are normal.

🔸Lander Module payloads ILSA, RAMBHA and ChaSTE are turned ON today.

🔸Rover mobility operations have commenced.

🔸SHAPE payload on the Propulsion Module was turned ON on Sunday.

— ISRO (@isro) August 24, 2023

After a 40-day space journey, India achieved a significant milestone as the Chandrayaan-3 lander, named ‘Vikram,’ successfully landed on the lunar South Pole. This accomplishment solidifies India’s position as the first country to achieve such a feat and the fourth nation overall, joining the ranks of the US, Russia, and China. The Vikram lander smoothly touched down while tilted horizontally, marking a historic achievement.

The journey began with the launch of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota on July 14. The launch utilized the GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle. Subsequently, on August 5, the spacecraft entered lunar orbit after undergoing a sequence of orbital maneuvers. These precise maneuvers guided the spacecraft towards a successful landing on the lunar surface.