Chandrayaan-3: Here’s The Timeline Of Events As Vikram Lander Prepares For Moon Landing

Chandrayaan-3, India’s ambitious lunar mission, marked a crucial milestone as the lander Vikram successfully completed its second and final de-boost maneuver. This de-boosting operation has successfully reduced the LM orbit to 25 km x 134 km.

Prior to it, the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on Wednesday(August 23, 2023) successfully underwent a fifth and final lunar-bound orbit maneuver, bringing it even closer to the surface of the Moon.

With this, the spacecraft completed all of its Moon-bound maneuvers. On Thursday, the lander ‘Vikram’ was successfully separated from the Propulsion Module. Chandrayaan-3 is now prepared for its scheduled moon landing on August 23.

Chandrayaan-3: Timeline Here’s the timeline of Chandrayaan-3 so far:

• July 06, 2023

The launch is scheduled for July 14, 2023, at 14:35 Hrs. IST from the Second Launch Pad, SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota.

• July 07, 2023

Vehicle electrical tests completed. Citizens were invited to witness the launch from the Launch View Gallery at SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota.

• July 11, 2023

The ‘Launch Rehearsal’ simulating the entire launch preparation and process lasting 24 hours has been concluded.

• July 14, 2023

LVM3 M4 vehicle successfully launched Chandrayaan-3 into orbit. Chandrayaan-3, in its precise orbit, has begun its journey to the Moon. Health of the Spacecraft is normal.

• July 15, 2023

The first orbit-raising maneuver (Earthbound firing-1) is successfully performed at ISTRAC/ISRO, Bengaluru. Spacecraft is now in 41762 km x 173 km orbit.

• July 17, 2023

The second orbit-raising maneuver was performed. The spacecraft is now in 41603 km x 226 km orbit.

• July 22, 2023

The fourth orbit-raising maneuver (Earth-bound perigee firing) is completed. The spacecraft is now in a 71351 km x 233 km orbit.

• July 25, 2023

Orbit-raising maneuver performed on July 25, 2023. The next firing (Trans Lunar Injection), is planned for August 1, 2023.

• August 01, 2023

The spacecraft is inserted into the translunar orbit. The orbit achieved is 288 km x 369328 km. Lunar-Orbit Insertion (LOI) is planned for Aug 5, 2023.

• August 05, 2023

Chandrayaan-3 is successfully inserted into the lunar orbit. The orbit achieved is 164 km x 18074 km, as intended.

• August 06, 2023

LBN#2 is successfully completed. The spacecraft is in a 170 km x 4313 km orbit around the moon.

• August 09, 2023

Chandrayaan-3’s orbit is reduced to 174 km x 1437 km following a maneuver performed on August 9, 2023.

• August 14, 2023

The mission is in the orbit circularization phase. The spacecraft is in a 151 km x 179 km orbit.

• August 16, 2023

The spacecraft is in an orbit of 153 km x 163 km after the firing on August 16, 2023.

• August 17, 2023

Lander Module is successfully separated from the Propulsion Module. De-boosting is planned for August 18, 2023.

• August 20, 2023

The second and final de-boosting operation has successfully reduced the LM orbit to 25 km x 134 km.

• August 21, 2023

Lander Hazard Detection and Avoidance Camera (LHDAC) captures the Lunar far side area. This camera that assists in locating a safe landing area — without boulders or deep trenches — during the descent is developed by ISRO at SAC.

Chandrayaan-3 Moon Landing Date And Time

Chandrayaan-3 is expected to land on the moon on August 23 at around 6:04 PM IST.

3 Recent Updates on Chandrayaan-3 :

1) Chandrayaan-3 releases images of the Lunar far side area ahead of landing

The ISRO on Monday (August 21) released images of the Lunar far side area captured by the Lander Hazard Detection and Avoidance Camera (LHDAC) of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft.

The camera that assists in locating a safe landing area, without boulders or deep trenches, during the descent is developed by the Ahmedabad-based Space Applications Centre (SAC), a major research and development Centre of ISRO.

According to the space agency, to achieve the mission objectives of Chandrayaan-3, several advanced technologies are present in the Lander such as LHDAC.

Chandrayaan-3, launched on July 14, is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface.

The ISRO said on Sunday that the Lander Module with the rover in its belly is expected to touch down on the surface of the moon around 6.04 pm on August 23

2) ‘Welcome, buddy’: Chandrayaan-3 lander module gets a special message

A two-way communication between the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter and Chandrayaan-3’s Lunar Module has been established, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday (August 21) said.

‘Welcome, buddy!’ Ch-2 orbiter formally welcomed Ch-3 LM. Two-way communication between the two is established. MOX has now more routes to reach the LM,” the national space agency said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

ISRO said on Sunday (August 20) the lander module of Chandrayaan-3, the third lunar mission of India, is expected to touch down on the surface of the Moon around 6.04 pm on August 23.

The MOX (Mission Operations Complex) is located at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking, and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru. ISRO also said, in an update, that the live telecast of the landing event will begin at 5.20 pm on August 23.

The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft comprising an orbiter, lander, and rover was launched in 2019. The lander with a rover in its belly crashed into the Moon’s surface, failing in its mission to achieve a soft landing.

ISRO said in 2019 that due to the precise launch and orbital maneuvers, the mission life of the orbiter is increased to seven years.

3)Chandrayaan-3 LIVE Updates: Vikram Lander is scheduled to make a soft landing at 6.04 pm on 23 August

Chandrayaan-3 LIVE Updates: Indian spacecraft has reached closer to the Moon and is all set to soft-land on the lunar surface by August 23, Wednesday. The ISRO said it successfully reduced the orbit of the Chandrayaan-3 mission’s Lander Module (LM) on Sunday. Launched on 14 July, the lander module of Chandrayaan-3 successfully separated from the Propulsion Module on Thursday, 35 days after the mission was launched.

India is now only 17 hours away to make history, if its third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3 makes a soft and successful landing on the south polar region of the Moon on Wednesday, August 23 at 6:04 pm. However, under “unfavorable conditions,” the landing may be postponed to August 27, an ISRO scientist said, while affirming that “No problem should occur and we will be able to land the module on August 23.”

The mission objectives of Chandrayaan-3 are to demonstrate a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface, to demonstrate rover roving on the Moon, and to conduct in-situ scientific experiments.

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