Bengaluru, NFAPost: India’s visionary lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, reached a significant milestone on Monday as it executed yet another strategic manoeuvre, inching closer to the lunar surface, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The apex space agency, headquartered in India, announced that the spacecraft has successfully achieved a “near-circular orbit” around the Moon, marking a crucial achievement in its ongoing journey.
Following its launch on July 14, Chandrayaan-3 entered lunar orbit on August 5. Since then, it has undergone two orbit reduction manoeuvres on August 6 and 9. The latest manoeuvre has commenced the process of orbit circularization, resulting in a near-circular orbit of 150 km x 177 km around the Moon.
ISRO revealed that the next operation is slated for August 16 at approximately 8:30 am.
The meticulous planning and execution of these manoeuvres are part of ISRO’s strategy to gradually refine Chandrayaan-3’s orbit and align it with the lunar poles.
As the mission progresses, ISRO’s series of manoeuvres aims to reduce Chandrayaan-3’s orbit incrementally. Sources within ISRO anticipate that another manoeuvre will be performed on August 16 to reach a 100 km orbit. This crucial step will then pave the way for the separation of the landing module, which includes both the lander and the rover, from the propulsion module.
The lander is projected to undergo a “deboost,” a process of controlled deceleration, and execute a soft landing on the Moon’s south polar region on August 23.
ISRO Chairman S Somnath highlighted the intricacies of the landing process, particularly emphasizing the challenge of transitioning the lander’s velocity from a horizontal to vertical direction. The success of this manoeuvre is pivotal for a safe landing.
Somnath stated, “The velocity at the start of the landing process is nearly 1.68 km per second, but this speed is horizontal to the surface of the moon. The Chandrayaan 3 here is tilted almost 90 degrees, it has to become vertical. So, this entire process of turning from horizontal to vertical involves intricate calculations and simulations. This is where we encountered difficulties previously (Chandrayaan 2).”
He also emphasized the importance of fuel efficiency, precise distance calculations, and algorithm accuracy during this transition.
Over the past three weeks since its launch, Chandrayaan-3 has been strategically manoeuvred away from Earth into increasingly distant orbits. The pivotal moment came on August 1 when a critical manoeuvre—referred to as a slingshot move—propelled the spacecraft from Earth’s orbit towards the Moon. This marked the beginning of its trajectory towards lunar proximity.
Chandrayaan-3, the successor to Chandrayaan-2, is poised to demonstrate India’s prowess in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface. Comprising a propulsion module, a lander module, and a rover, the mission aims to showcase innovative technologies vital for interplanetary journeys.
The propulsion module will shepherd the lander and rover configuration to a 100 km lunar orbit. Additionally, the propulsion module carries the Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload, designed for spectral and polarimetric measurements of Earth from the lunar orbit.
Chandrayaan-3’s overarching objectives include demonstrating a secure and gentle landing on the lunar surface, showcasing rover mobility on the Moon, and conducting in-situ scientific experiments. The lander will execute a controlled soft landing, followed by the deployment of the rover for on-site chemical analysis of the lunar terrain. Both the lander and rover carry scientific payloads to conduct experiments on the Moon’s surface.
As Chandrayaan-3’s journey unfolds, it holds the promise of expanding India’s space achievements while exemplifying the nation’s ability to overcome intricate space challenges.
