Chandrayaan-3 is healthy: Isro chief shares latest update on Indian spacecraft

By India Today Science Desk: Chandrayaan-3 is progressing smoothly and is in good health, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S. Somnath.

In a recent update, he confirmed that the spacecraft is functioning as expected and is on track for its scheduled landing on the Moon on August 23.

"Chandrayaan-3 is going very well. Last night we had an orbit reduction in the moon's orbit from something like 18,000 kilometres to around 4,600 kilometres and 165 kilometers at its closest point to the Moon. Subsequently, it will again come down as there will be some more maneuvers until it lands on August 23. So everything is going fine now. Satellite is healthy," Somnath said.

Launched on July 14, 2023, Chandrayaan-3 has been gradually reducing its orbit around the Moon through a series of maneuvers. The spacecraft successfully entered lunar orbit on August 5.

The mission aims to land a rover on the Moon's south polar region, an area yet to be explored by any other country. The mission follows Chandrayaan-2, which successfully entered lunar orbit but crash-landed on the Moon's surface in 2019.

The next crucial step for the mission is the soft landing, scheduled for August 23. If successful, India will become only the fourth country to achieve this complex feat, following the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China.

Chandrayaan-3 comprises a lander, a propulsion module, and a rover.

The lander is responsible for the soft landing on the Moon and carries various scientific instruments for in-site analysis. The rover, named Pragyan, is designed to observe and conduct experiments on the lunar surface to better understand the Moon's composition.

The lander and rover will conduct in-situ observations and experiments to better understand the Moon's composition. The six-wheeled rover, weighing 26 kilograms, is equipped with scientific instruments including cameras, spectrometers, and a drill.