Chandrayaan-3: Fourth Orbit-Raising Manoeuvre Brings Mission Closer To The Moon
Launched on July 14, 2023, Chandrayaan-3 is India's third lunar mission, with the aim to put a lander and a rover on the Moon's south pole in the last week of August.
Chandrayaan-3 is now a step closer to the Moon. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully completed the fourth-orbit raising manoeuvre of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, the space agency announced on Thursday.
The manoeuvre, known as Earth-bound perigee firing was carried out from the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru. With this, the Chandrayaan-3 is now closer to its final destination, the Moon.
ISRO
Chandrayaan-3 closer to the Moon
The next firing is scheduled for July 25,2023 between 2 and 3 pm IST. Launched on July 14, 2023, Chandrayaan-3 is India's third lunar mission, with the aim to put a lander and a rover on the Moon's south pole in the last week of August.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
¡ª ISRO (@isro) July 20, 2023
?? India celebrates #InternationalMoonDay 2023 by propelling Chandrayaan-3 ?? a step closer to the Moon ?
The fourth orbit-raising maneuver (Earth-bound perigee firing) is performed successfully from ISTRAC/ISRO, Bengaluru.
The next firing is planned for¡ pic.twitter.com/XeuD5c06v1
The fourth orbit-raising manoeuvre follows the third one that was also successfully performed earlier this week. Chandrayaan-3 Project Director P Veeramuthuvel said that IRO would continue to monitor and control the spacecraft via ISTRAC.
Unsplash
The Chandrayaan-3 is the successor to Chandrayaan-2, ISRO's earlier mission that wasn't able to achieve a soft landing on the Moon. With Chandrayaan-3, the space agency hopes for success.
Also read: Chandrayaan-3 On Track For Moon Landing After Completing Third Orbit Manoeuvre
Chandrayaan-3 will reach the lunar orbit between August 3-5 and will attempt to land on August 23/24. It will probe the Moon's less explored south pole and has a mission life of one lunar day (14 Earth days).
ISRO
Also read: Why Chandrayaan-3 Wants To Be The First Mission To Probe Moon's South Pole
If all goes well, India would become the fourth country to land on the lunar surface after the United States, China, and Russia.
What do you think about the Chandrayaan-3 mission? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.
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