Chandrayaan-3 update: Vikram Lander successfully undergoes first deboosting operation, next round on Aug 20

Chandrayaan 3 updates: The lander module of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft has successfully descended to a slightly lower orbit as per the 'deboosting' schedule planned, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.

On August 17, the Indian spacecraft performed a successful separation of the Vikram lander module from the propulsion module, ISRO state. Now, only a few days are left before the lander module will make an attempt to do a soft landing on the south polar region of the Moon on August 23. 

This would make India the fourth country in the world to achieve the feat after the United States, Russia, and China.

Deboosting is the process of slowing down to position itself in an orbit where the orbit's closest point to the Moon (Perilune) is 30 km and the farthest point (the Apolune) is 100 km.

"The Lander Module (LM) health is normal. LM successfully underwent a deboosting operation that reduced its orbit to 113 km x 157 km. The second deboosting operation is scheduled for August 20, 2023, around 0200 Hrs," ISRO posted on X (formerly Twitter) at 4.02 PM.

 

The first orbital manoeuvre will plant Vikram Lander into a circular orbit at a height of 100x100 km above the Moon.

Following this, a second one, planned on August 20, will strategically position it into the final orbit at a height of 100x30 km above the lunar surface. From where the lander will initiate the final landing on August 23.

On July 14, the Vikram lander, which was named after Dr Vikram A Sarabhai, was launched into space by the LVM3 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. It entered lunar orbit on August 5 and successfully separated from its propulsion module on August 17.

The rover will collect data on the composition and geology of the moon, providing scientists with invaluable insights into the history and evolution of our nearest celestial neighbour.

Earlier in the day, Isro shared images of the moon taken by Chandrayaan-3 Lander imager camera after the Lander Module got separated from the propulsion module on Wednesday.

 

The race to the uncharted south pole of the Moon has heated up with Russia's Luna-25 also gearing up for lunar landing next week. Historically, spacecraft missions to the Moon have primarily focussed on the equatorial region as the terrain and operating conditions are favourable. 

The lunar south pole presents a vastly different and more challenging terrain compared to the equatorial region, as per experts.

Also read: Next stop, Moon: ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 lander successfully separated from propulsion module

Chandrayaan 3 is scheduled tp study the Moon's exosphere, mapping its composition and variations. This data will be instrumental in understanding Moon's evolution and its interactions with solar winds.

Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-up mission to Chandrayaan-2 that aims to land a spacecraft on the moon and deploy a rover to explore the lunar surface. 

Chandrayaan-2 had failed in its lunar phase when its lander 'Vikram' crashed into the surface of the moon following anomalies in the braking system in the lander while attempting a soft landing on September 7, 2019. Chandrayaan's maiden mission was in 2008.

Also read: Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft enters lunar orbit, touchdown planned two days ahead of Chandrayaan-3

Also read: Chandrayaan-3: PM Modi hails ISRO's women scientists in Independence Day speech

Also read: Chandrayaan-3 vs Lunar-25: Will Russia steal India's thunder in a race to the moon’s south pole?