Chandrayaan-3: As India’s GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle embarked on the much-anticipated journey to the Moon on Friday, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said on Saturday that the first orbit-raising maneuver has been successfully performed.
The space agency said on Twitter that the health of the spacecraft was ‘normal’.
ISRO tweeted, “The health of the spacecraft is normal. The first orbit-raising maneuver (Earth Firing-1) has been successfully performed at ISTRAC/ISRO, Bengaluru. The spacecraft is now in a 41762 km x 173 km orbit.”
Meanwhile, Vikram Sarabhai Space Center Director S Unnikrishnan Nair said the onboard thrusters will be fired from Saturday by scientists at the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bengaluru.
“The vehicle system has performed very well. Because of that, whatever initial conditions the spacecraft needed, we have provided them with great precision,” he said.
About Chandrayaan-3
ISRO launched the Chandrayaan-3 lunar exploration program on 14 July from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
The PM tweeted, “Chandrayaan-3 writes a new chapter in India’s space journey. It soars high, uplifts the dreams and ambitions of every Indian. This momentous achievement is a testimony to the tireless dedication of our scientists.” I salute their spirit and ingenuity!” Modi.
Chandrayaan-3, India’s third lunar exploration mission, will make India the fourth country after the US, China and Russia to land a spacecraft on the lunar surface and demonstrate the country’s capabilities for safe and soft landing on the lunar surface .
Chandrayaan-3 is ISRO’s follow-up effort after the Chandrayaan-2 mission faced challenges during its soft landing on the lunar surface in 2019 and was ultimately deemed to have failed in its main mission objectives.
After the orbit raising process, Chandrayaan-3 will be inserted into the Lunar Transfer Trajectory. It will reach the Moon in the coming weeks, covering a distance of over 300,000 km. The scientific instruments onboard will study the lunar surface and enhance our knowledge. Chandrayaan-3 is equipped with a lander, a rover and a propulsion module. Its weight is about 3,900 kg.
(with PTI inputs)
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