The Indian Space Research Organisation announced on Tuesday the successful completion of Chandrayaan 3's final orbit-raising manoeuvre from Bengaluru. The spacecraft is now on its way to achieving an orbit of 127,609 km x 236 km.
ISRO clarified that the achieved orbit would be confirmed after observations. The next firing, TransLunar Injection (TLI), is scheduled for August 1, 2023, between 12 midnight and 1 am IST. Space Minister Jitendra Singh stated on Monday that Chandrayaan-3 will soon enter the Moon's orbit after completing several circles around the Earth. By the first week of August, it will enter the innermost circle and then take another 10 days to pinpoint the landing spot in the Moon's south pole area.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
— ISRO (@isro) July 25, 2023
The orbit-raising maneuver (Earth-bound perigee firing) is performed successfully from ISTRAC/ISRO, Bengaluru.
The spacecraft is expected to attain an orbit of 127609 km x 236 km. The achieved orbit will be confirmed after the observations.
The next… pic.twitter.com/LYb4XBMaU3
Last week, Chandrayaan-3 accomplished its fourth orbit-raising manoeuvre successfully. This milestone was celebrated as India's contribution to International Moon Day 2023. ISRO Chairman Somanath S expressed confidence that the craft would soon soft-land on the Lunar surface, bringing significant scientific findings.
On July 14, Chandrayaan-3 was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, with a mission to reach the Moon's South Pole for a soft landing by August 23-24. By achieving this feat, India would join the elite group of nations, including the United States, Russia, and China, who have accomplished similar missions.
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