Chandrayaan-3's Vikram Lander completes final de-boosting. Next step moon

The lander has placed itself in an orbit where the closest point to the moon is 25 km and the farthest is 134 km.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Sunday announced that the second and final de-boosting operation of Lunar mission Chandrayaan-3's Vikram Lander has successfully completed, further bringing it nearer to the moon.

The second and final deboosting operation has successfully reduced the LM orbit to 25 km x 134 km. (Twitter/ ISRO)

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The lander has placed itself in an orbit where the closest point to the moon is 25 km and the farthest is 134 km. It is from this point that the lunar module will attempt to touch down on the lunar surface's unexplored south polar region on August 23 evening, ISRO said.

The development comes a day after the Lander Module comprising the lander (Vikram) and the rover (Pragyan) successfully underwent a deboosting operation that reduced its orbit to 113 km x 157 km.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), ISRO said, “The second and final deboosting operation has successfully reduced the LM orbit to 25 km x 134 km. The module would undergo internal checks and await the sun-rise at the designated landing site. The powered descent is expected to commence on August 23, 2023, around 1745 Hrs. IST.”

On Thursday, the lander module separated from the propulsion module that had carried it all the way from Earth. The propulsion module will now continue orbiting Earth for months or even years, and study its atmosphere and measure the polarisation of light from clouds.

Deboosting is the process of slowing down to position itself in an orbit where the orbit's closest point to the Moon (Perilune) is 30 km and the farthest point (the Apolune) is 100 km.

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Post its launch on July 14, Chandrayaan-3 entered into the lunar orbit on August 5, following which orbit reduction manoeuvres were carried out on the satellite on August 6, 9, 14 and 16, ahead of the separation of both its modules on August 17, in the runup to the landing on August 23.

Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface.

The mission objectives of Chandrayaan-3 are to demonstrate a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface, to demonstrate rover roving on the Moon, and to conduct in-situ scientific experiments.

(With inputs from agencies)