The first orbit-raising manoeuvre of Chandrayaan-3 was successfully performed, said the Indian Space Research Organisation in a mission update on Saturday. Chandrayaan-3, successfully launched on Friday from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, was normal in health and is now in 41,762 km x 173 km orbit. "Chandrayaan-3 Mission update: The spacecraft's health is normal. The first orbit raising manoeuvre (Earthbound firing-1) was successfully performed at ISTRAC/ISRO, Bengaluru. Spacecraft is now in 41762kms x 173kms orbit," ISRO said in a tweet.
The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft's voyage towards the Moon began after ISRO's largest and heaviest rocket, the Launch Vehicle Mark III (LVM3), carried India's third lunar exploration mission from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Chandrayaan-3 is expected to reach the lunar surface on August 23 or 24, 2023.
Chandrayaan-3 has three phases: the Earth-centric phase, the lunar transfer phase, and the Moon-centric phase.
The Earth-centric phase, or Phase-1, involves the pre-launch phase; the launch and ascent phase; and the Earth-bound manoeuvre phase, which will help the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft change its directions.
The lunar transfer phase includes the transfer trajectory phase, as part of which Chandrayaan-3 will choose the path that will lead it towards the lunar orbit.
The Moon-centric phase involves all the steps from lunar orbit insertion to landing.
The spacecraft consists of a lander, a rover and a propulsion module. The objectives of the mission are to demonstrate soft landing on the lunar surface, and roving on the lunar terrain, conduct in-situ scientific experiments, and develop and demonstrate new technologies required for interplanetary missions.
The objectives of Chandrayaan-3, apart from demonstrating a safe and soft landing and roving capabilities on the lunar surface, is to conduct in-situ scientific experiments, and develop and demonstrate new technologies required for interplanetary missions, ISRO says on its website.