Chandrayaan 3 completes final deboosting; all eyes on August 23 landing

ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission

India's lunar aspirations took a significant leap today as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieved a flawless second and final de-boosting operation for the Chandrayaan-3 Moon mission. The lander, Vikram, has now positioned itself in a meticulously planned lunar orbit, with its closest point to the Moon at 25 km and the farthest at 134 km. This critical achievement paves the way for an eagerly anticipated soft landing attempt on the Moon's uncharted south pole region scheduled for August 23, 2023.

ISRO conveyed its optimism, stating, "The module would undergo internal checks and await the sun-rise at the designated landing site. The powered descent is expected to commence on August 23, 2023, around 1745 Hrs. IST."

Chandrayaan-3 marks a leap forward in India's lunar exploration ambitions. The Lander module, comprising the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover, successfully completed both deboosting maneuvers. Launched on July 14 of this year, Chandrayaan-3 aims to showcase ISRO's comprehensive capabilities in secure lunar landing and surface roving.

During Thursday's mission phase, the lander module was detached from the propulsion module, which transported it from Earth. The propulsion module will now continue orbiting Earth for an extended period, dedicated to studying the atmosphere and gauging light polarization from clouds.

The deboosting process entails slowing down to attain an orbit where the closest lunar point (Perilune) is 30 km, and the farthest point (Apolune) is 100 km.

Following its July 14 launch, Chandrayaan-3 reached lunar orbit on August 5. Subsequent orbit reduction maneuvers occurred on August 6, 9, 14, and 16. Both modules separated on August 17, leading up to the scheduled landing on August 23.

Chandrayaan-3, building on Chandrayaan-2, aims to showcase complete capabilities for secure lunar landing and surface exploration. Mission objectives encompass demonstrating a soft landing, rover mobility, and conducting on-site scientific experiments.

The mission's triumph relies on accomplishing a lunar touchdown at dawn, granting a 14-day research timeframe before the chilling lunar night. The rover's functionality may suffer from extreme cold, prompting ISRO to consider a September landing if needed.

Also read: Roadmap to lunar success: Chandrayaan-3 is key to India's long-term space exploration