What will happen in Chandrayaan's 20 minutes of terror? How Vikram will decide the best landing site?

India is taking center stage as an eagerly anticipated event looms on the horizon – the historic lunar landing of Chandrayaan-3, set to take place on Wednesday.

As per the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the power descent of the Vikram lander is scheduled to commence at 5:45 PM on Wednesday, August 23. If all goes according to plan, after a series of intricate braking maneuvers, Vikram is expected to touch down around 6:04 PM. The crucial moments will unfold as the landing module descends from an altitude of 25 kilometers, promising a gripping sequence of events.

During the terminal descent phase, which is arguably the most pivotal segment of the landing, Vikram will hover at a height of 150 meters. This phase will encompass a hazard verification process, ensuring a thorough assessment of potential obstacles such as boulders and craters on the lunar surface.


Depending on the outcome of this hazard verification, Vikram will then make a pivotal decision: continue its vertical descent or opt for an alternative landing site just a few meters away. Opting for the latter choice would add approximately 52 seconds to the timeline. Once the final landing site is determined, Vikram will proceed to descend to a height of 60 meters, before ultimately reaching an altitude of 10 meters. From this point, it will take a mere 9 seconds for Vikram to softly and precisely touch down on the lunar surface.

ISRO had earlier confirmed that the mission was proceeding as planned, with regular system checks being carried out. A recent post on the organization's official communication platform X, formerly known as Twitter, highlighted the current status: "Smooth sailing is continuing. The Mission Operations Complex (at ISRO) is buzzed with energy and excitement!"

For those eager to witness this historic event, the live telecast of the landing operations is set to kick off at 5:20 PM on the following day. Viewers will be able to follow the live action of the landing on ISRO's official website, its YouTube channel, Facebook, and the public broadcaster DD National TV starting from 5:27 PM.