The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 mission is set to make a significant achievement in space exploration as it enters the Moon’s sphere of influence on August 5.
“The spacecraft has covered about two-thirds of the distance to the moon. Lunar Orbit Injection (LOI) set for Aug 5, 2023, around 19:00 Hrs. IST,” said ISRO in its latest Chandrayaan-3 mission update.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
The spacecraft has covered about two-thirds of the distance to the moon.Lunar Orbit Injection (LOI) set for Aug 5, 2023, around 19:00 Hrs. IST. pic.twitter.com/MhIOE65w3V
— ISRO (@isro) August 4, 2023
This marks a crucial phase in the mission, which aims to demonstrate a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface, roving on the moon, and conducting in-situ scientific experiments.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission was launched on July 14 and has been gradually boosting its orbit around Earth before making its final journey towards the Moon.
The spacecraft’s perigee burn has successfully raised its orbit to 288km x 369328 km, positioning it to enter the Moon’s sphere of influence.
The process of lunar orbit insertion is a complex one. To achieve this, the spacecraft first maneuvers away from Earth’s orbit and then enters a crucial point in the Moon’s gravity known as ‘perigee,’ where the Moon’s influence on the spacecraft becomes apparent.
At this stage, the thrusters on Chandrayaan-3 are used to move tangentially into the Moon’s orbit.
Once the spacecraft reaches the lunar orbit, the Lander will separate from the Propulsion Module and attempt a soft landing near the South Pole of the moon on August 23, at 5.47 pm.
