Chandrayaan-3’s Successful Lander Separation Marks Critical Step Towards Moon Landing in Seven Days

The Chandrayaan-3 mission has successfully achieved a critical milestone: the separation of the propulsion module from the lander. This development comes 33 days after the initial launch of Chandrayaan. The separated lander is now on its way to the moon, with the goal of executing a soft landing within the next seven days, specifically on August 23 around 5:45 pm.

To facilitate the landing process, a crucial step will occur tomorrow at 4 o’clock, involving a controlled descent using the thruster engine. The upcoming procedure involves the deboost process, which will place the lander into a circular orbit approximately 30 km from the moon’s surface. As the lander reaches this altitude, it will gradually decrease its speed and come to a vertical stop before initiating a controlled descent towards the moon.

Chandrayaan-3, which was launched on July 14, has now covered a distance of 360,000 km from Earth and is getting closer to its lunar destination. One of the main challenges lies in achieving a safe landing on the moon, given its significantly lower gravity compared to Earth’s. It’s worth noting that Chandrayaan-2 faced difficulties during this phase, resulting in a crash. However, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) expresses confidence in Chandrayaan-3’s ability to achieve a successful soft landing, regardless of any challenges that may arise.

The upcoming steps in the mission include three key phases: first, the lander will be further deboosted to approach the moon’s south pole; second, the search for an optimal landing site will be conducted, along with the operation of signal motors; and finally, the critical phase of executing a soft landing on the moon will be undertaken.