Chandrayaan-3 is set to land on the moon on August 23, 2023, around 18:04 Hrs. IST
The successful separation of the Lander Module and the Propulsion Module has marked yet another significant milestone, paving the way for the next phase. Following this successful separation, the focus was shifted towards the Lander Module. It was further lowered into the moon’s orbit by ensuring a careful deboosting on 18th August 2023. Meanwhile, the Propulsion Module will continue its journey in its current orbit around the moon.
In a moment that further solidified the mission, the second and final deboosting operation of the Lander Module was executed flawlessly. As the Lander Module maneuvered through its phases, ISRO proudly announced its success in being placed at 25 km x 134 km, even closer to the lunar surface on 20th August, 2023 – confirming the health of the Lander Module to be normal.
The memory of Chandrayaan-2’s unfortunate ending because of its failure to ensure a soft landing on the lunar surface, has cast a shadow of pressure over the team. Similarly, under an unfortunate circumstance, Russia’s Luna-25, which was also on its way to the undiscovered south polar region on 21st August, crashed into the moon and reported “abnormal difficulties”.
As Chandrayaan-3 has gracefully followed its planned trajectory throughout the mission, it is now approaching a stage that has been eagerly anticipated, yet tempered by the challenges that lie ahead. However, the lessons drawn from this past failure have intensified our scientists’ commitment to ensure a successful landing this time, overcoming previous anomalies. This phase, though daunting, is laced with the potential for historic achievement.
As of the latest update from ISRO this morning, new images of the moon have been taken, as can be viewed in the tweet below:
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
— ISRO (@isro) August 21, 2023
Here are the images of
Lunar far side area
captured by the
Lander Hazard Detection and Avoidance Camera (LHDAC).
This camera that assists in locating a safe landing area — without boulders or deep trenches — during the descent is developed by ISRO… pic.twitter.com/rwWhrNFhHB
“Chandrayaan-3 is set to land on the moon on August 23, 2023, around 18:04 Hrs. IST” said ISRO. The unfolding of this much-anticipated phase will be streamed LIVE on ISRO’s website, YouTube, Facebook, and DD National from 17:27 Hrs. IST on Aug 23, 2023. With only 2 days until the soft-landing, the world is impatiently awaiting the succession of this 40-day mission.
