‘This is Chandrayaan-3. I am feeling lunar gravity’, after entering Moon’s orbit

Chennai, Aug 5 : ‘This is Chandrayaan-3. I am feeling lunar

gravity’, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) after

the spacecraft was successfully slinged into the Moon’s orbit

on Saturday evening.

The next operation, to reduce the Orbit will take place on Sunday

night at 2300 hrs, ISRO said.

In a significant and crucial manoeuvre, the third Moon Mission

Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft was inserted into the Lunar Orbit at

7.00 pm, heralding yet another major milestone in India’s Lunar

exploratory mission.

By firing the onboard thruster motors, the spacecraft was successfully

steered into the moon’s orbit.

ISRO tweeted: “MOX, ISTRAC, this is Chandrayaan-3, I am feeling

lunar gravity.”

“Chandrayaan-3 has been successfully inserted into the lunar orbit”,

it said.

“A retro-burning at the Perilune was commanded from the Mission

Operations Complex (MOX), ISTRAC, Bengaluru”, it added.

“The next operation – reduction of orbit – is scheduled for Aug 6, 2023,

around 23:00 Hrs.IST”, ISRO said.

ISRO sources said Chandrayaan-3 has now started orbiting the Moon’s

surface. The manoeuvre was performed at point when Chandrayaan-3’s

orbit came closest to the Moon, ISRO said.

It may be noted that the Indian Space Agency on August 1 midnight

successfully injected the Chandrayaan-3 into the TransLunar Orbit

after carrying out five Orbit raising manoeuvres ever since its launch

on July 14.

On August 1 in a key manoeuvre — a slingshot move — the craft was

sent successfully towards the Moon from Earth’s orbit.

The soft landing on the moon is planned at 5.47 p.m on August 23.

After injection into the Lunar orbit, the spacecraft’s orbit will be further

manoeuvred for the soft landing on August 23 evening to explore the

hitherto unexplored south polar region of the moon.