Source : Moneycontrol
Chandrayaan3 Update: ISRO performs first deboosting of Vikram lander in final countdown to Moon landing
Space agency Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday, August 18, successfully performed the first deboosting of the Vikram lander as Chandrayaan-3 begins its final countdown to a successful Moon landing.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
The Lander Module (LM) health is normal.LM successfully underwent a deboosting operation that reduced its orbit to 113 km x 157 km.
The second deboosting operation is scheduled for August 20, 2023, around 0200 Hrs. IST #Chandrayaan_3#Ch3 pic.twitter.com/0PVxV8Gw5z
— ISRO (@isro) August 18, 2023
Deboosting is part of the mission’s final preparations before it makes a landing on the lunar surface. The manoeuvre involves reducing the spacecraft’s thrust in order to achieve a stable orbit.
The lander module — comprising the Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover — underwent a deboosting to place it in an orbit, where the perilune (the orbit’s closest point to the Moon) is 30 km and apolune (farthest point from the Moon) is 100 km.
This comes after the Indian spacecraft performed a successful separation of the Vikram lander module from the propulsion module on Thursday (August 17).
Meanwhile, several prominent voices have expressed their confidence in the successful execution of ISRO’s third lunar mission.
“Now I think I’m quite confident, more than 100% it’s going to be a safe landing (Chandrayaan 3 landing). I was watching with slightly caution the moment when Chandrayaan was to move out of Earth’s orbit and move to Moon’s orbit because that a critical situation. Most of the critical stages are over now,” Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh said on Chandrayaan-3 mission. Chandrayaan3 Update: ISRO performs first deboosting of Vikram lander in final countdown to Moon landing IgMp
