India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission makes steady growth; successfully completes fourth orbit-raising manoeuvre

India’s Chandrayaan-3 moon mission is progressing steadily, having completed its fourth orbit-raising manoeuvre successfully on July 20, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The spacecraft is now in a 71351 km * 233 km orbit around Earth.

Launched on July 14 from Sriharikota, the third lunar mission aims to showcase India’s capability to soft-land and operate a robotic rover on the lunar surface. The Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3) placed the spacecraft into an elliptic orbit of 36,500 km * 170 km during its perfect lift-off, with all stages performing nominally.

Since its launch, the mission has been conducting its orbit-raising manoeuvres smoothly. The first manoeuvre occurred on July 15, followed by the second on July 16, the third on July 18, and the fourth on July 20. Each manoeuvre has been designed to gradually increase the spacecraft’s speed and position it for lunar insertion.

Jitendra Singh, the Science and Technology Minister, shared a significant update while talking to ANI, stating that Chandrayaan-3 had successfully completed the fourth orbit-raising manoeuvre on Thursday, bringing it one step closer to the moon.

ISRO Chairman S. Somnath had earlier mentioned that earth-bound manoeuvres would continue until July 31, and by around August 1, the spacecraft will enter the lunar orbit. Subsequently, it will move into the Moon’s orbital path, being pulled by its gravity, and gradually descend towards its surface. By the first week of August, it is expected to reach the lunar orbit, where it will scan the environment to determine a suitable landing site on the Moon’s South Pole region. The spacecraft is scheduled to land on August 23.

Chandrayaan-3 is anticipated to reach the moon using a longer route, utilizing Earth’s gravity to enhance its velocity. The mission’s Lander is expected to perform a soft landing on the Moon’s South Pole region, a relatively unexplored location that could potentially yield valuable scientific data.

If successful, India will become the fourth nation in the world, after the former Soviet Union, the United States, and China, to achieve a soft landing on the moon.