Chandrayaan-3 completes final lunar orbit manoeuvre to pave way for Vikram's separation

India's moon mission completed a key task today as the Indian Space Research Organisation said that Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft has successfully undergone fifth and final lunar orbit manoeuvre. This achievement marks a pivotal step towards the imminent separation of the landing module, housing Vikram, the lander, and Pragyan, the rover, from the propulsion module.

"Today’s successful firing, needed for a short duration, has put Chandrayaan-3 into an orbit of 153 km x 163 km, as intended," ISRO wrote on Twitter. "With this, the lunar bound maneuvres are completed."

The spacecraft is further closer to the surface of Moon and ISRO said it’s time for preparations as the Propulsion Module and the Lander Module gear up for their separate journeys.


"Separation of the Lander Module from the Propulsion Module is planned for August 17, 2023," ISRO said.

Following ISRO's announcement, MoS Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh also tweeted, "A step closer towards the Moon! Today’s successful firing, needed for a short duration, has put Chandrayaan-3 into an orbit of 153 km x 163 km, as intended. With this, the lunar bound maneuvres have been completed."

India's ambitious third Moon mission's spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 after the launch on July 14, had entered into lunar orbit or the Moon's orbit on August 5.

A series of maneuvers have been conducted by ISRO to gradually reduce Chandrayaan-3's orbit and position it over the lunar poles.


The accomplishment of today's firing, undertaken for a brief duration, has precisely situated Chandrayaan-3 as planned. ISRO's announcement emphasized the completion of the lunar-bound manoeuvres and the subsequent initiation of preparations for the independent journeys of the propulsion and lander modules.

With only a mere seven days remaining, the landing module is scheduled to undertake its pivotal landing attempt on the lunar surface come August 23. Post the manoeuvre accomplished on Wednesday, another manoeuvre is slated for Thursday, designed for the separation of the lander. This action will require Vikram to be repositioned into an elliptical orbit. Subsequent manoeuvres will be executed by ISRO to precisely adjust the landing module's trajectory to achieve this feat.

The meticulously planned de-boost manoeuvres are projected to position Vikram into an orbit characterized by a Perilune (closest point to the Moon) of 30km and an Apolune (farthest point from the Moon) of 100km. It is from this particular orbital configuration that the ultimate landing endeavor will be undertaken.

The forthcoming phase encompasses a critical challenge, as highlighted by ISRO Chairman S Somanath. It involves the intricate process of reducing the lander's velocity from a height of 30km to facilitate a safe landing. Furthermore, ISRO's engineers must navigate the transitional phase that transforms the spacecraft's horizontal orientation into a vertical one. This preparatory work is essential for Vikram's final descent, scheduled to occur on August 23.

As of Wednesday, Chandrayaan-3 has successfully completed 33 days since its launch on July 14. Its journey began with five Earth-bound manoeuvres, carried out between July 15 and 25, which effectively elevated its altitude to over 1.2 lakh km at its farthest point from Earth.

The subsequent Trans-Lunar Injection (TLI) on August 1 propelled the spacecraft onto a trajectory towards the Moon, positioning it at an altitude of approximately 3.6 lakh km. This paved the way for the Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) on August 5, which situated the spacecraft in an elliptical orbit around the Moon.

Following the LOI, Chandrayaan-3 continued to operate within an elliptical orbit, with a series of deliberate lunar-bound manoeuvres progressively reducing its Apolune. This strategic approach ultimately culminated in the manoeuvre performed on Wednesday, which effectively transitioned Chandrayaan-3 into a stable circular orbit.

As India's space agency maneuvers each step with precision, the world eagerly anticipates the upcoming phases, culminating in the highly anticipated landing attempt that promises to push the boundaries of scientific exploration and discovery.