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

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.