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First earth bound orbit-raising maneuver for Chandrayaan-2 successfully performed
A Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III, carrying the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft, had lifted off at 2.43 pm on Monday from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
The first earth bound orbit-raising maneuver for Chandryaan-2 spacecraft has been performed successfully on Wednesday, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The maneuver was performed at 2:52 pm as planned, using the onboard propulsion system for a firing duration of 57 seconds.
The second orbit raising maneuver is scheduled on July 26 at 1:09 am, the space agency said.
A Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III, carrying the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft, had lifted off at 2.43 pm on Monday from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
This came exactly a week after the mission was aborted following the detection of a technical glitch less than an hour before the launch.
In the run-up to the launch, the ISRO, on its Twitter handle, put out regular updates about preparations.
Chandrayaan-2 will explore a region of the moon where no mission has ever set foot. The spacecraft consists of an orbiter, a lander and a rover together referred to as “composite body”. The landing on the moon’s south polar region is expected on September 6 this year.
The spacecraft will be the first Indian expedition to attempt a soft landing on the lunar surface. This mission will make India the fourth country after the US, Russia, and China to carry out a soft landing on the moon.
(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)
