Chandrayaan 3, launched on July 14th, is all set to become India’s first spacecraft that will make a soft landing on the moon.
After moving in the Earth orbit for two weeks, India’s spacecraft Chandrayaan 3 transitioned from Earth’s orbit to the translunar orbit during the early hours of Tuesday, starting on a voyage towards the moon after. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said in a tweet that the next stop of the spacecraft would be the moon.
What will the spacecraft do next?
Chandrayaan-3, which was launched on July 14, is steady to achieve a historic feat as India's maiden spacecraft to execute a soft landing on the moon after India's earlier attempt with Chandrayaan-2, in 2019 had unfortunately encountered challenges and did not accomplish a successful lunar landing.
The Chandrayaan 3 spacecraft is expected to cover the distance to the moon in about four days. Around August 5, the Chandrayaan 3 spacecraft will enter the lunar orbit, starting its orbital journey around the moon, much like its trajectory around the Earth until now. Slowly, it will adjust its orbit to achieve a lower altitude around the moon, ultimately reaching a circular orbit at an altitude of 100km. By approximately August 23, the lander and rover module will descend from this circular orbit to the moon's surface, marking the final stage of the mission.
The spacecraft is going to spend the coming 18 days moving around the moon and decreasing its velocity and orbit to prepare itself for a successful landing on the moon. Ultimately, the final orbit of the integrated spacecraft would be 100*100 km around the moon. At this point, the lander rover will separate itself from the propulsion module and start its descent towards the lunar surface.
Rather than approaching directly to the moon, both the current and the previous Indian missions have strategically utilized Earth's gravity to their advantage. By orbiting around the Earth and gradually increasing their trajectory, they gain the necessary velocity for their lunar endeavors.
Where will the spacecraft land on the moon?
Concerning the landing site, this time the landing site is slightly different from the one that had been chosen for Chandrayaan 2. The spacecraft will be landing on the coordinates 69.36°S and 32.34°E, near the moon's southern pole. This specific region was selected due to the presence of several perpetually shaded craters, which are believed to hold valuable resources such as water ice, and precious minerals.
