Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday informed that India's ambitious third Moon mission's 'Chandrayaan-3' spacecraft successfully underwent another orbit reduction maneuver. This operation helped the spacecraft to bring it even closer to the Moon's surface. Post its launch on July 14, Chandrayaan-3 had entered into lunar orbit on August 5.
"Even closer to the moon’s surface. Chandrayaan-3's orbit is reduced to 174 km x 1437 km following a maneuver performed today," ISRO said in a tweet.
Next operation on August 14
According to the national space agency, the next operation will be carried out on August 14, 2023 between 11:30 and 12:30 hrs.
As the mission progresses, a series of maneuvers is being conducted by ISRO to gradually reduce Chandrayaan-3's orbit and position it over the lunar poles.
S Somanath's big statement
Earlier on Tuesday, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S Somanath in a big statement said that Chandrayaan's 3 'Vikram' lander will be able to make a soft landing on the moon even if all the sensors and both of its engines do not work. The landing of Vikram lander has been scheduled for August 23.
Speaking during the interaction over ‘Chandrayaan-3: Bharat’s Pride Space Mission’, S Somanath said that the Vikram lander has been designed in such a way that it will be able to handle failures.
“If everything fails, if all the sensors fail, nothing works, still it (Vikram) will make a landing. That’s how it has been designed -- provided that the propulsion system works well,” Somanath said.
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