Chandrayaan-3 : Nears Moon Orbit
India’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, launched on July 14, has successfully undergone its third lunar orbit reduction, transitioning from a highly-elliptical orbit to a near-circular orbit around the Moon.
- The craft’s orbit circularization phase aims to bring it to a constant 100 km distance above the lunar surface, marking a critical milestone for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
- The journey of the spacecraft involved engine burns to raise its orbit and perform Trans-Lunar injection.
- The upcoming phases entail engine tests, a series of braking maneuvers, and a planned soft landing on August 23.
- Chandrayaan-3 carries a propulsion module, lander, and rover, with the mission objective of performing a lunar soft-landing and conducting in-situ analysis near the Lunar surface’s 70 degrees latitude.
- The successful orbit reduction signifies ISRO’s progress in maneuvering the spacecraft from a highly-elliptical orbit to a near-circular one, positioning it closer to the Moon.
- This achievement paves the way for further crucial phases of the mission, such as engine tests and braking maneuvers.
- The orbit circularization phase aims to bring Chandrayaan-3 to a constant 100 km distance above the lunar surface.
- This stable orbit is essential for the craft’s upcoming tasks, including planned engine tests and the series of braking maneuvers leading to the soft landing.
