Gyan Hunk 2

Chandrayaan-3 only 4,313km from Moon, says Isro

BENGALURU: 

Isro

 late on Sunday completed its first Moon-bound manoeuvre, a day after 

Chandrayaan-3

 was guided into an elliptical lunar orbit. The spacecraft’s altitude at Apolune (farthest point from 

Moon

) was reduced from 18,074km to 4,31

The spacecraft successfully underwent a planned orbit reduction manoeuvre. The retro-firing of engines brought it closer to the Moon’s surface, now to 170 km x 4313 km. The next operation to further reduce the orbit is scheduled for August 9, 2023, between 1pm and 2pm,” Isro said.

With the completion of Sunday’s lunar manoeuvre, Isro will be left with three more Moon-bound manoeuvres to progressively reduce the spacecraft’s altitude before it attempts to separate the landing module — 

Vikram (the lander) and Pragyan (the rover) — from the propulsion module.

Before the landing module breaks away from the propulsion module, the integrated spacecraft will have to achieve a 100km circular orbit from the current elliptical orbit around Moon.

Post lander separation, Vikram, carrying Pragyan inside, will be put in a 100km x 30km orbit around Moon and Isro will attempt to soft-land the lander on the 

lunar surface

, scheduled as on date, for 5.47pm on August 23.

The landing will be achieved through a series of complex braking manoeuvres to soft-land in the South polar region.