Chandrayaan-3, India’s third lunar mission, published its first Moon images. The pictures were collected a day after the spacecraft reached lunar orbit. The footage showed a bluish-green moon with many craters.
“The Moon, as viewed by Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft during Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) on August 5, 2023,” tweeted the Mission’s official Twitter account, linking to the video.
Chandrayaan-3’s second lunar orbit maneuver succeeded.
Today, August 6, Chandrayaan-3’s propulsion system performed its second maneuver. The orbit measures 170 by 4313 kilometers. Lunar-bound orbit maneuver on August 9.
After Sunday, there will be three more maneuvers until August 17, when the Landing Module Vikram, carrying the rover Pragyan, will separate from the Propulsion Module. Then, the lander will de-orbit and plummet to the moon.
Chandrayaan-3 enters lunar orbit.
Chandrayaan-3 entered lunar orbit on August 5. ISRO conducted the appropriate maneuver from its Bengaluru facility. The space agency’s ambitious Rs 600 crore program included lunar orbit insertion.
“I am feeling lunar gravity,” Chandrayaan-3 told ISRO after the maneuver that took it closer to the Moon, which was done from Bengaluru.
Chandrayaan-3 reached 2/3 of the Moon.
Since July 14, Chandrayaan-3 has gone two-thirds of the way to the Moon. ISRO warned Friday that the next 18 days are crucial for the organization.
The space agency says India’s third lunar mission is healthy and will try a soft landing on August 23.
If Chandrayaan-3, ISRO’s second attempt in four years, successfully lands a robotic lunar rover on the moon, India would become the fourth nation to master soft-landing.
Conclusion:-
India’s third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, has delivered its first Moon photos. The moon appeared bluish-green and cratered a day after the spacecraft reached lunar orbit. Chandrayaan-3 orbited 170 km by 4313 km after its second maneuver. On August 9, the Landing Module Vikram, carrying the rover Pragyan, will separate from the Propulsion Module. Three further lunar-bound orbit maneuvers are scheduled till August 17. Before the lunar landing, the lander will de-orbit. Since July 14, Chandrayaan-3 has gone two-thirds of the way to the Moon. ISRO said the next 18 days are critical. India’s third lunar mission is healthy and will land gently on August 23. India will become the fourth nation to soft-land a lunar rover if Chandrayaan-3 succeeds.
