The Chandrayaan-3 has entered the orbit circularisation phase in preparation for its Moon landing, as per the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
“The orbit of Chandrayaan-3 around the Moon is now almost round. After a precise manoeuvre, Chandrayaan-3 is in a near-circular orbit of 150 kilometres × 177 kilometres,” the ISRO said in a mission update.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
Orbit circularisation phase commencesPrecise maneuvre performed today has achieved a near-circular orbit of 150 km x 177 km
The next operation is planned for August 16, 2023, around 0830 Hrs. IST pic.twitter.com/LlU6oCcOOb
— ISRO (@isro) August 14, 2023
Chandrayaan-3 entered the orbit circularisation phase at 11:50 am IST on August 14, 2023. The spacecraft will perform the next Moon-bound manoeuvre on August 16, at around 8:30 am IST.
After August 16, when the Chandrayaan-3 completes the Moon-bound maneuvers, it will head to the next crucial stage. The landing module, on August 17, consisting of the lander (Vikram) and rover (Pragyan), will disengage from the propulsion module.
Post that, de-boost maneuvers will be done on the lander, positioning it for lunar landing. Chandrayaan-3 is expected to touchdown on the Moon on August 23.
