ISRO Successfully Executes Fifth Earth-bound Manoeuvre for Chandrayaan-3, Progressing Towards Lunar Mission

New Delhi, July 25, 2023: The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) achieved a significant milestone on Monday as they successfully completed the fifth Earth-bound manoeuvre for Chandrayaan-3, propelling the spacecraft further away from Earth and closer to its lunar mission.

The recent manoeuvre, performed on the 11th day after the launch, marks a crucial step towards the trans-lunar injection (TLI) planned for August 1, between 12 am and 1 am, according to ISRO. The TLI will aim to slingshot the spacecraft towards the moon.

ISRO announced that the spacecraft is expected to attain an orbit of 1,27,609 km x 236 km after the successful orbit-raising manoeuvre (Earth-bound perigee firing). The confirmed orbit will be ascertained through observations.

As reported earlier, after a successful TLI, Chandrayaan-3 will take more than five days to reach the lunar orbit. Following this, ISRO will undertake a series of manoeuvres before the spacecraft attempts its much-awaited landing on the lunar surface on August 23.

The spacecraft has shown steady progress so far, with ISRO successfully completing five orbit-raising manoeuvres. Prior to Monday’s manoeuvre, the space agency had reported that on July 20, after the fourth Earth-bound operation, the spacecraft was in a 71,351 km x 233 km orbit. Earlier, after the third manoeuvre on July 18, the spacecraft was positioned in a 51,400 km x 228 km orbit.

Chandrayaan-3, a continuation of Chandrayaan-2, is designed differently, with three modules: propulsion, lander, and rover. Unlike its predecessor, which carried an orbiter along with Vikram and Pragyan (the rover), Chandrayaan-3’s composite structure weighs 3,900 kg, with the propulsion module at 2,148 kg and the lander module, including the rover, at 1,752 kg.

The successful completion of the fifth manoeuvre highlights ISRO’s commitment to advancing space exploration, with Chandrayaan-3 poised to embark on a historic lunar mission that promises to expand our understanding of the celestial body and its mysteries.