Chandrayaan-3 | Fifth and final orbit reduction manoeuvre completed; lander to separate tomorrow
The Hindu
ISRO successfully completes 5th orbit reduction manoeuvre for Chandrayaan-3; Separation of Lander Module from Propulsion Module scheduled for Aug 17. Landing on Moon's South Polar region on Aug 23. TLI on Aug 1, lunar orbit insertion on Aug 5.
With just a week left for Chandrayaan-3’s Moon landing, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on August 16 successfully carried out the fifth and final orbit reduction manoeuvre.
The manoeuvre which commenced at 8.30 a.m. was performed from ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru.
“Today’s successful firing, needed for a short duration, has put Chandrayaan-3 into an orbit of 153 km x 163 km, as intended.With this, the lunar bound manoeuvre are completed,” ISRO said.
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The Chandrayaan-3 consists of a lander module (LM), a propulsion module (PM) and a rover.
After the completion of the five orbit reduction manoeuvres ISRO said that it is gearing up for the next most crucial operations which is scheduled on August 17.
“It’s time for preparations as the Propulsion Module and the Lander Module gear up for their separate journeys. Separation of the Lander Module from the Propulsion Module is planned for August 17, 2023,” the space agency said
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