The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, India’s third lunar mission, has successfully covered two-thirds of its journey to the Moon and is scheduled to enter the lunar orbit on August 5, around 7 pm IST. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been closely monitoring the spacecraft’s progress since its launch on July 14 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
In a crucial manoeuvre on August 1, the spacecraft was sent on a slingshot trajectory from Earth’s orbit towards the Moon. Following this trans-lunar injection, Chandrayaan-3 began its journey towards the vicinity of the Moon. On August 5, the Lunar Orbit Injection (LOI) is set to take place when the spacecraft’s orbit will be closest to the Moon.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh informed that the landing on the Moon is expected to happen “after a week or so.” ISRO aims to perform a soft landing on the lunar surface on August 23, a significant milestone in the mission. ISRO has been diligently lifting the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft into orbits farther away from Earth since its launch, ensuring a smooth and calculated journey. The health of the spacecraft has been reported as normal, indicating a positive status for the upcoming lunar mission.
Looking ahead, ISRO has an exciting series of activities lined up for the next few months, including a GSLV launch scheduled for August or early September. The Gaganyaan project, one of ISRO’s ambitious missions, aims to demonstrate human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of three members into a 400-kilometer orbit for a three-day mission and safely bringing them back to Earth by landing in Indian sea waters.
As the country eagerly waits for Chandrayaan-3’s success in reaching the Moon’s lunar orbit, the mission serves as a testament to India’s growing capabilities in space exploration. The lunar landing, when achieved, will be a significant milestone in India’s space endeavors and a moment of pride for the nation.