Rama Krishna Sanegem
India’s own Brand Moon Mission, Chandrayaan -3 is doing well till now, six days after it is launched from Sriharikota’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre on July 14. Now Chandrayaan 3 is raised to its 4th orbit, last before one, to enter into Moon orbit,in a manoeuvre conducted by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) from the ground. The next firing is planned for July 25 between 2 pm and 3 pm, the national space agency headquartered here said.
After rotating the fifth orbit, the satellite will enter Moon orbit and again rotate around it several times, before landing on it on August 23 or 24, as planned by ISRO.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on July 20,Thursday successfully performed the fourth orbit-raising manoeuvre (Earth-bound perigee firing) of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft from the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) here. The next firing is planned for July 25 between 2 pm and 3 pm, the national space agency headquartered here said.
India celebrates the International Moon Day 2023 by propelling Chandrayaan-3 a step closer to the Moon, it said. The Chandrayaan-3 mission to the Moon was launched on July 14,according to a PTI report.
“The spacecraft is on way to the Moon. In another few days it will go (the lander will soft-land on the Lunar surface),” ISRO Chairman Somanath S said earlier in the day while delivering the inaugural address to the Space Science Technology & AwaReness Training (START) programme 2023.
“I am sure that you will find something very substantial through this (Chandrayaan-3) mission as far as science is concerned,” he said. Entire world is watching India’s Chandrayaan 3 for its bold mission of landing unexplored Moon’s south pole where water in the form of frozen ice is expected to be deposited. Another reason is India’s remarkably low cost mission, around Rs 620 crore, one fourth cost of such missions by the US.
