Chandrayaan-3 Completes Final Deboosting, Sets Stage for Soft Landing on Aug 23

New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully completed the final deboosting operation for its Chandrayaan-3 Moon mission. This brings the Vikram lander into a carefully planned lunar orbit, ranging from 25 km to 134 km in distance from the Moon’s surface.

The next major milestone for the mission is the soft landing in the uncharted south pole region on August 23, 2023. The lander will undergo internal checks and await sunrise at the designated landing site before the powered descent begins at around 1745 Hrs. IST.

Chandrayaan-3 Mission:

🇮🇳Chandrayaan-3 is set to land on the moon 🌖on August 23, 2023, around 18:04 Hrs. IST.

Thanks for the wishes and positivity!

Let’s continue experiencing the journey together
as the action unfolds LIVE at:
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— ISRO (@isro) August 20, 2023

Chandrayaan-3 is a significant advancement in India’s lunar exploration goals. The Lander module, comprising the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover, has already successfully accomplished both deboosting maneuvers. Launched on July 14 this year, Chandrayaan-3 aims to demonstrate ISRO’s comprehensive capabilities in achieving a secure lunar landing and conducting surface roving.

The deboosting process involves slowing down the spacecraft to achieve an orbit with the closest lunar point (Perilune) at 30 km and the farthest point (Apolune) at 100 km.

Following its July 14 launch, Chandrayaan-3 reached lunar orbit on August 5. Subsequent orbit reduction maneuvers took place on August 6, 9, 14, and 16. The separation of both modules occurred on August 17, setting the stage for the planned landing on August 23.

Building upon the success of Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3 aims to demonstrate complete capabilities for secure lunar landing and surface exploration. Mission objectives encompass showcasing a soft landing, rover mobility, and conducting on-site scientific experiments.

The mission’s success hinges on achieving a lunar touchdown at dawn, allowing for a 14-day research window before the frigid lunar night sets in. Contingent upon conditions, ISRO is open to the possibility of a September landing to mitigate the rover’s potential functionality challenges in extreme cold.