Chandrayaan 3's historic journey to the moon's south pole: A timeline of events
Photo Credit: ISRO July 11, 2023: At 2:35 PM IST, Chandrayaan 3 takes off majestically from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, mounted on the powerful GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle. The spacecraft begins its momentous voyage towards the Moon.
Photo Credit: ISRO July 11, 2023: The comprehensive launch preparation rehearsal for Chandrayaan 3 concludes after a 24-hour simulation process.
Photo Credit: ISRO July 14, 2023: At 2:35 PM IST, Chandrayaan 3 takes off majestically from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, mounted on the powerful GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle. The spacecraft begins its momentous voyage towards the Moon.
Photo Credit: ISRO July 15, 2023: A successful first orbit-raising maneuver elevates Chandrayaan 3 to an orbit of 41,762 km x 173 km.
Photo Credit: ISRO July 17, 2023: Continuing its journey, the spacecraft's second orbit-raising maneuver adjusts its path to 41,603 km x 226 km.
Photo Credit: ISRO July 22, 2023: In a pivotal move, the Earth-bound perigee firing during the fourth orbit-raising maneuver propels Chandrayaan 3 into an orbit of 71,351 km x 233 km.
Photo Credit: ISRO August 01, 2023: Chandrayaan 3 enters the moon's sphere of influence as it's inserted into a translunar orbit measuring 288 km x 369,328 km.
Photo Credit: ISRO August 05, 2023: With precision, the spacecraft achieves lunar orbit insertion, positioning itself at 164 km x 18,074 km, as meticulously planned. A retro-burning maneuver at the Perilune is commanded from the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) in Bengaluru.
Photo Credit: ISRO August 06, 2023: Executing a planned orbit reduction maneuver, Chandrayaan 3 gracefully positions itself in its second lunar orbit, referred to as Lunar Bound Phase 2, maintaining a distance of 170 km from the moon's surface at its closest point.
Photo Credit: ISRO August 09, 2023: The spacecraft's orbit is further reduced to 174 km x 1,437 km through a skillful maneuver.
Photo Credit: ISRO August 14, 2023: Initiating the orbit circularization phase, Chandrayaan 3 achieves a near-circular orbit measuring 151 km x 179 km.
Photo Credit: ISRO August 16, 2023: The lunar bound maneuvers culminate as the spacecraft enters a 153 km x 163 km orbit following a precisely timed firing.
Photo Credit: ISRO August 17, 2023: In a moment of anticipation, the lander module successfully detaches from the Propulsion Module, embarking on an independent journey.
Photo Credit: ISRO August 19, 2023: With precision, the lander module undergoes a deboosting operation, adjusting its orbit to 113 km x 157 km.
Photo Credit: ISRO August 20, 2023: A critical final deboosting operation significantly lowers the lander module's orbit to 25 km x 134 km, setting the stage for the upcoming powered descent. The powered descent is anticipated to commence on August 23, 2023, around 5:45 pm IST.
Photo Credit: Pexels August 23, 2023: Anticipation builds as Chandrayaan 3 prepares for its historic landing on the unexplored south pole of the Moon today. The momentous event will be covered live starting 5:45 PM IST and touchdown is expected at 6:04 PM.
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