Find Out the Latest Update on the Date and Time of Chandrayaan-3’s Landing
India’s highly anticipated space mission, Chandrayaan-3, is set to touch down on the Moon’s surface on August 23. Progressing smoothly, the Chandrayaan-3 mission is currently orbiting the Moon, with the ultimate goal of achieving a successful landing. Launched from India’s space center on July 14, 2023, the spacecraft has effectively entered the Moon’s orbit and is steadily approaching its destination. As the landing date draws near, let us delve into the most recent developments regarding this mission.
Latest update on Chandrayaan-3
Currently, Chandrayaan-3 is about 1,437 kilometers from the Moon. A team from India’s space research organization, ISRO, has guided the spacecraft through various maneuvers to ensure that it is moving in the right direction. One major step was taken on August 5 when Chandrayaan-3 entered lunar orbit.
Soon, around August 16, the spacecraft is expected to get even closer and be about 100 km above the surface of the moon. At that point, the part that helps the spacecraft move, called the Propulsion Module, separates from the rover. This prepares the spacecraft for its final descent, which occurs a little later.
Chandrayaan-3 has two main goals: First, to demonstrate that it can land safely and lightly on the Moon, and second, to operate the small rover for about 14 Earth days, the equivalent of one lunar day. The Rover is light and weighs only 26 kilograms. It will conduct scientific tests to learn about the origin of the Moon, its rocks and their composition, and to analyze the environment.
The journey so far
After the spacecraft had circled the Earth five times after launch, it changed its course towards the Moon. On August 14, the next major mission will be to further lower the spacecraft’s orbit. If this goes well, Chandrayaan-3 will be a major achievement for India’s space efforts and place them among the countries that have landed safely on the Moon.
This mission is also a great example of India’s smart spending on space projects. It cost around ₹600 which is much less than the money of other countries. ISRO director S Somanath is confident about the mission as they have learned from previous missions and made changes to ensure that things go smoothly this time.
Chandrayaan-3 has had a smooth sailing so far and ISRO is optimistic about the upcoming soft landing of the Vikram lander on the lunar surface, which is scheduled for August 23. Chandrayaan-3 successfully reached lunar orbit after a 22-day journey and began the complex mission of exploring the unknown south pole of the moon.
All the hard work and research will pay off when Chandrayaan-3 lands on the moon.
