ISRO Lander Set to Touch Down on Moon in 24 Hours for Chandrayaan-3 Mission
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has announced that the Vikram Lander will touch down on the lunar surface on August 23 at 6:04 PM. The nation eagerly anticipates this significant event, as India prepares to make its mark on the Moon. With just over 24 hours remaining, time is running out. If you haven’t been keeping up with the latest updates on the Chandrayaan-3 mission, here are the key developments you should know.
ISRO’s official X account just posted a new update where it revealed several details about the mission, including details of the live broadcast of the invoice. The message stated: “Live broadcast of MOX/ISTRAC landing operations will begin at 17:20 IST on August 23, 2023”. MOX (Mission Operations Complex) and ISTRAC (ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network) are the physical centers where scientists can see the live broadcast. They are broadcast however also streaming on YouTube on ISRO’s official website.
In addition to this, the message also mentioned, “Mission is on schedule. Systems are regularly checked. Smooth sailing continues. The Mission Operations Complex (MOX) is full of energy and excitement. In addition, the message also shared “images of the moon captured by the Lander Position Detection Camera (LPDC) approx. from an altitude of 70 kilometers”.
Chandrayaan-3 previous updates
Nilesh M Desai, director of ISRO’s Center for Space Applications, expressed mild concern, saying there was a possibility that the landing timeline could be delayed. He said: “On August 23, two hours before Chandrayaan-3 will land on the Moon, we will decide whether it is appropriate to land on it based on the condition of the landing module and the conditions on the Moon at that time. . . If any factor does not seem favorable, we will land the module on the Moon on August 27. Problem should not occur and we can land the module on August 23rd”.
However, the latest update from ISRO suggests that the landing is expected tomorrow.
In another surprising update, ISRO’s X account revealed that the Lander Module made contact with the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter. The connection is two-way, which means that both spacecraft can share data with each other. ISRO sent a message: “Welcome, mate!” The Ch-2 orbiter formally welcomed the Ch-3 LM (Landing Module). Two-way communication between the two is established. The MOX (Mission Operations Complex) now has more routes to access the LM.
Notably, the spacecraft’s Vikram landing module successfully separated from the propulsion module recently, followed by important deboosting maneuvers and a descent into a slightly lower orbit. The lander of the Chandrayaan-3 mission is named after Vikram Sarabhai (1919–1971), widely regarded as the father of India’s space programme.