Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14, 2023, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, as part of the third Moon mission by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to explore and analyse the Lunar South Pole
A day after separation, the Vikram lander on August 18 transmitted visuals of the lunar surface marked by impact craters through its onboard cameras
The Lander Module (LM) effectively completed a deboosting manoeuvre, effectively minimising its orbit to 113 km x 157 km. The next deboosting operation is planned for August 20, 2023, at approximately 0200 Hrs. IST
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Shortly after entering Earth's orbit, Chandrayaan-3 captured and transmitted stunning images of our planet from its orbit on July 14
On July 15, Chandrayaan-3 initiated its orbit-raising manoeuvre (Earthbound firing), elevating the orbit to 41762 km x 173 km. Subsequent Earth-bound manoeuvres were conducted, resulting in the spacecraft's orbit being elevated to 71351 km x 233 km by July 22, 2023
August 1, 2023, witnessed a seamless execution of the TransLunar Injection (TLI) manoeuvre by ISRO for the Chandrayaan-3 mission. This pivotal TLI accomplishment took place at the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking, and Command Network (ISTRAC) center in Bengaluru. As a result of TLI, Chandrayaan-3 was effectively positioned into a translunar orbit
On August 5, Chandrayaan-3 achieved a notable milestone by smoothly entering lunar orbit, aligning precisely with the intended dimensions of 164 km x 18074 km
Shortly after its lunar arrival, Chandrayaan-3 transmitted captivating images of the Moon's surface using its Propulsion Module
August 6 witnessed Chandrayaan-3 initiating orbit reduction manoeuvres, leading to a spacecraft orbit adjustment to 170 km x 4,313 km around the Moon
Subsequent orbit adjustments occurred on August 9, altering it to 174 km x 1437 km, on August 14 to 151 km x 179 km, and on August 16 to 153 km x 163 km
The Lander Module accomplished a successful detachment from the Propulsion Module on August 17, commencing its conclusive mission phase for a gentle touchdown of the Vikram lander
On August 23, the Chandrayaan-3 lander will begin its final descent to make touchdown on the moon