From Spacecraft to Moon's Surface: 15 Min of Tension During Chandrayaan-3's Lunar Landing

The critical landing sequence for Chandrayaan-3, a daring lunar explorer, commences at approximately 5:45 pm and spans 15 minutes, aptly dubbed "15 minutes of terror" by a former Isro chief. Throughout this period, the spacecraft operates autonomously, rendering engineers and scientists mere spectators. Everything hinges on the onboard computers of the Vikram Lander. Traveling at a staggering 1.6 kilometers per second, it orbits the Moon, floating some 30 km above the lunar surface. Over the subsequent 690 seconds, the engines of Chandrayaan-3 will ignite, akin to gently tapping the brakes on a bicycle, gradually reducing its speed to a quarter while the Moon's gravity guides it downwards at about 60 meters per second. Listen in to know more.