NEW DELHI: Since it was launched, people from all over India and the globe are interested in the journey of ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 Mission and everyone is keen to know about its current status and how close the spacecraft has come to the moon.
The most interesting part of the mission is set to begin now as, according to the India Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Chandrayaan-3 is scheduled to enter the Lunar Orbit today at around 7 pm (IST).
The spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 is slated to enter the Lunar orbit at around 7 pm today, which means that it will arrive into the circular orbit of the moon and will then it will start to revolve around the earth's only natural satellite. A very important move will be made by ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru today as it will perform the Lunar Orbit Injection that will mark the spacecraft’s entry in the moon's orbit.
As soon as the spacecraft enters the lunar orbit, a crucial part of the mission will be kicked off and an attempt will be made to complete the phase of the mission which could not happen for Chandrayaan 2.
The Chandrayaan-3, which was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Friday (July 14) at 2:35 pm, is India’s third lunar mission and second attempt at making a soft landing on the Moon, which entails its lander and rover to land gently on the surface of the moon with the help of thrusters or jets.
The launch of Chandrayaan-3 comes almost four years after the partial failure of the Chandrayaan-2, which was sent to space on July 22, 2019. Chandrayaan-2 entered the lunar orbit but its lander Vikram, and rover Pragyaan, crashed on the Moon’s surface during the early hours of September 7.
This time we are optimistic as everything has gone to plan and on schedule till now. After the Chandrayaan-3 enters the orbit of the moon or the lunar orbit, the lander, which is also named Vikram, will remain in orbit of varying distances for a considerable length of time before it separates from the spacecraft and makes an attempt to land on the surface of the moon. The lander Vikram will try to land softly in an area near the south pole of the moon on August 23 at around 5.47 pm.
The Vikram Lander is scheduled to separate from the spacecraft on August 17, after a series of de-boost maneuvers are made, before it enters the landing phase, which is considered to be the most crucial and one the most difficult part of the mission. It will be in the hands of the mission controllers and the onboard computers, which will do most of the work.
Since it was launched on July 14, Chandrayaan-3 has covered two-thirds of the distance to the moon and now the mission will enter one of the crucial phases that will surely make the hearts of the scientists who are relentlessly working on the mission, to skip a beat.
Everyone’s keeping fingers crossed for a smooth lunar orbit entry and landing of Chandrayaan-3, which will mark a major milestone in India’s space program.
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