Embarking on a remarkable journey through space, India's Chandrayaan-3 mission is on a steady trajectory of progress. As of 20th July 2023, the mission has successfully accomplished its fourth orbit-raising manoeuvre.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has confirmed that the spacecraft is cruising in a 71351 km x 233 km orbit around Earth, indicative of the current Chandrayaan-3 live status.
This significant ISRO 3rd lunar mission was launched on 14th July 2023, from the renowned Satish Dhawan Space Centre Sriharikota.
The central aim of the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission is to prove India's prowess to execute a soft-landing on the moon's surface and operate a robotic rover there.
Following the launch, the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission spacecraft was accurately placed into an elliptic parking orbit of 36,500 km x 170 km. This precision was achieved by the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3), which ensured a picture-perfect lift-off with all its stages functioning flawlessly.
The mission embarked on a series of calculated orbit-raising manoeuvres subsequent to its launch.
Each manoeuvre was carried out on 15th, 16th, 18th, and 20th July respectively and was meticulously planned to progressively enhance the spacecraft's velocity and align it for lunar insertion.
The Chandrayaan-3 live status shows these manoeuvres have been executed as planned, marking smooth progress of the mission.
The forthcoming significant phase in the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission is the fifth orbit-raising manoeuvre. Scheduled for 25th July, this crucial event will transpire between 2 pm and 3 pm.
This carefully organised operation will involve precision firings of the thrusters to elevate the spacecraft's orbital altitude.
Upon the completion of the final orbit-raising manoeuvre, the spacecraft will undertake a series of Earth orbits and engine burns.
This forms part of the strategy to gradually increase its speed and position it appropriately for lunar insertion. The spacecraft will then be directed to an Earth-to-Moon transfer orbit, where the Moon's gravity will come into play.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission is expected to reach the Moon around 23rd or 24th August, tracing a longer route to leverage the Earth's gravity to bolster its velocity.
The mission's lander is set to soft-land on the Moon’s South Pole region, an area yet to be thoroughly explored that could offer invaluable scientific data.
A successful mission would position India as the fourth nation, after the former Soviet Union, the United States, and China, to execute a soft landing on the moon.
As the world keenly awaits the Chandrayaan-3 latest update, the ISRO team, the masterminds behind this ISRO 3rd lunar mission, remain committed to their task, gearing up for the forthcoming fifth orbit-raising manoeuvre and the subsequent journey to the moon.
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