India’s Chandrayaan-2 gets closer to the moon

Sriharikota: Setting in place India’s bid to return to the moon, the Indian space agency’s heavy lift rocket, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Mark III (GSLV-Mk III), carrying the 3,850 kg Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft, blasted off from the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh, on July 22, 2019. At exactly 2.43 p.m., the Rs 375 crore GSLV-Mk III rocket began its ascent into space from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC). (Video Grab: IANS/ISRO)

Chennai (IANS): The Indian space agency on Sunday evening successfully completed the fifth and final lunar bound orbit change for the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft.

According to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the spacecraft’s maneuver began at 6.21 p.m. using its onboard propulsion system for 52 seconds.

The orbit achieved is 119 km x 127 km. All spacecraft parameters are normal.

New Delhi: The first Moon image captured by Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft’s lander ‘Vikram’ taken at a height of about 2650 km from Lunar surface on Aug 21, 2019. (Photo: IANS/ISRO)

The next crucial operation is the separation of Vikram, the lander, from the spacecraft scheduled on September 2 at 12.45 p.m. -1.45 p.m.

After Vikram’s separation, there will be two de-orbital operations on September 3 and 4 so that it could soft land on the moon’s south pole on September 7 at 1.30 a.m.- 2.30 a.m.

On July 22, the Rs 978 crore Chandrayaan-2 was launched into the space by India’s heavy lift rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Mark III (GSLV Mk III) in a text book style.

The spacecraft comprises three segments – the Orbiter (weighing 2,379 kg, eight payloads), the lander ‘Vikram’ (1,471 kg, four payloads) and rover ‘Pragyan’ (27 kg, two payloads).