India on Moon: Milestones in Chandrayaan-3's 41-day odyssey

Indian spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 on Wednesday scripted history by making a soft landing on surface of the Moon. With this achievement, India has become the first nation to reach the lunar south pole.

The landing was made around 6:04 pm on August 23, 2023.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had launched the Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM 3) rocket from the second launchpad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota on July 14 at 2:35 pm.


At the end of the countdown, the LVM3-M4 rocket lifted off majestically at the prefixed time. The lift-off was normal and smooth, ISRO said. The stage separations were executed precisely as planned, it added.

About 16 minutes after lift-off, Chandrayaan-3 got separated from the rocket and it would orbit the earth for about 5-6 times in an elliptical cycle with 170 km closest and 36,500 km farthest from earth moving towards the lunar orbit.

ISRO announced the Chandrayaan 3 mission as accomplished after the satellite entered the orbit after an event-free flight.

Here are all the key moments in India's Moon mission so far:

First orbit-raising maneuver (July 15):
Scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation successfully performed the first orbit-raising manoeuvre of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on July 15, 2023. It was in an orbit, which when closest to Earth is at 173 kilometres and farthest from Earth is at 41,762 km.

Second orbit-raising maneuver (July 17):
ISRO on July 17 had announced that the spacecraft has successfully performed the second orbit-raising manoeuvre (Earth-bound apogee firing).

"The spacecraft is now in 41603 km X 226 km orbit", the national space agency had stated.

Third orbit-raising maneuver (July 18):
The third orbit-raising maneuver (Earth-bound perigee firing) was performed successfully from ISTRAC/ISRO, Bengaluru. Following the maneuver, the spacecraft had attained a 51400 km x 228 km orbit, as planned by ISRO.

Fourth orbit-raising maneuver (July 25):
In the early hours of July 25, the fourth firing of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft took place from the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru.

Fifth Orbit-raising maneuver (July 25):
Chandrayaan-3, completed its fifth and final Earth-bound orbit-raising manoeuvre on July 25, marking a crucial phase of the spacecraft's lunar trajectory.

Completion of orbits around the Earth (August 1)
In a key maneuver -- a slingshot move -- the spacecraft was sent successfully towards the Moon from Earth's orbit. Following this trans-lunar injection, the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft escaped from orbiting the Earth and began following a path that would take it to the vicinity of the Moon.

Lunar orbit insertion (August 5):
India's ambitious third Moon mission, Chandrayaan-3 successfully entered the lunar orbit on August 5, 2023, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) informed through its X (formerly Twitter) handle.

"Chandrayaan-3 has been successfully inserted into the lunar orbit. A retro-burning at the Perilune was commanded from the Mission Operations Complex (MOX), ISTRAC ( ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network ), Bengaluru," the agency said in a post on X (formerly Twitter)

Orbit reduction maneuver (August 6):
The spacecraft successfully underwent a planned orbit reduction maneuver. The retrofiring of engines brought it closer to the Moon's surface, to 170 km x 4313 km.

Orbit reduction maneuver (August 9):
India’s Moon mission was on the right track as Chandrayaan-3 successfully underwent a planned orbit reduction manoeuvre on August 9, 2023. The retrofiring of engines brought the spacecraft closer to the Moon's surface, to 174 km x 1437 km.

Orbit circularisation phase commences (August 14)
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on August 14 conducted an orbit reduction maneuver of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft to take it further closer to the surface of Moon.

The spacecraft achieved a near-circular orbit of 150 km x 177 km, said ISRO.

Lunar bound maneuvres completion (August 16):
A successful firing, needed for a short duration, had put Chandrayaan-3 into an orbit of 153 km x 163 km, as intended on August 16. With this, the lunar bound manoeuvres concluded.

Lander Module separation from Propulsion Module (PM) (August 17):
Chandrayaan-3 on August 17, 2023, achieved a significant milestone as the Vikram lander detached from the spacecraft's propulsion module. From there on, the modules had commenced for their own journeys.

Vikram lander's first successful deboosting (August 18):
Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander on August 18, 2023, successfully underwent its first deboosting manoeuvre, said Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

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.

The second deboosting operation is scheduled for August 20, 2023, around 2 am.

Vikram lander's second successful deboosting (August 20):
The spacecraft successfully underwent its second round of deboosting where the orbit of the lunar satellite's Lander Module (LM) was reduced, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said on August 20, 2023. While this activity brings the satellite closer to the Moon, it is set to undergo internal checks, the space agency said.

The soft landing, the most challenging part of the mission, is planned for August 23, 2023. If successful, Chandrayaan-3 will mark India's entry into an elite club of countries comprising the US, Russia and China that have successfully accomplished lunar landings.

Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3 communication established (August 21):
ISRO on Monday (August 21) has revealed that a two-way communication was established between Chandrayaan-2 orbiter and Chandrayaan-3 mission's lander module.

"‘Welcome, buddy!’ Ch-2 orbiter formally welcomed Ch-3 LM. Two-way communication between the two is established. MOX has now more routes to reach the LM. Update: Live telecast of Landing event begins at 17:20 Hrs. IST," said ISRO, in a post on X (formerly Twitter).


Soft landing on Moon (August 23):
Chandrayaan-3's lander module on August 23, 2023, made a soft landing on the surface of the Moon. "Chandrayaan-3 has successfully soft-landed on the moon! Congratulations, India!," said ISRO in a tweet.