Chandrayaan-3: Last Lap To Moon Begins As Lander Separated From Propulsion Module

Mumbai: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Thursday afternoon successfully separated the Vikram lander from the propulsion module of Chandrayaan-3 mission, taking the spacecraft a step closer to making a soft landing on lunar surface.

The separation of lander from propulsion module marks a crucial step in India’s ambitious lunar exploration.

The lander, named after India’s space programme founder Vikram Sarabhai, carries the Pragyan rover.

It will now be put into a closer orbit around the Moon.

According to ISRO, the Chandrayaan-3 mission is currently in an orbit of 153 km x 163 km around the Moon.

Landing on the lunar surface is expected on August 23.

Chandrayaan-3 may face competition from Russia’s Luna-25 mission, which was launched after the former but could land on the Moon two days earlier.

The Indian and Russian lunar missions have planned different landing areas so that there is no risk of interference or collision. But till landing takes place, fingers will remain crossed.

It may be recalled that Chandrayaan-2 mission faced a setback in September 2019 when the Vikram lander deviated from its intended path during the landing attempt, resulting in a loss of communication.

This time, ISRO has expanded the landing area and chosen a spot with a 4 km x 2.4 km area, instead of 500 square metres during Chandrayaan-2. This will provide more flexibility for the landing attempt.

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