Chandrayaan-3 says hi to Earth, Moon in new pic from space journey

The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, India's third unmanned Moon mission, has capture incredible images of the Moon and Earth from its journey.

The picture, which provides a detailed view of the lunar craters, was taken after the spacecraft entered the moon's orbit on August 5. This significant achievement brings the mission one step closer to its ultimate goal of landing near the challenging terrain of the moon's south polar region.

The image was captured by the Lander Horizontal Velocity Camera (LHVC) onboard the spacecraft. This camera, along with the Lander Imager (LI), was developed by the Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad and the Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems in Bengaluru.

The LI had previously captured an image of Earth on the day of the launch, July 14, 2023.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission, initiated by the Indian Space Research Organization (Isro), aims to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface.

The spacecraft is currently moving closer to the Moon after nenetering in its orbit. Looping around the Moon, as of August 9, Chandrayaan-3 is just 1,437 km away from the moon's surface.

The mission's primary objective is to land safely on the moon's surface and conduct a series of scientific experiments to learn more about the moon's composition. If successful, India will join the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China as the only nations to perform a soft lunar landing.

The spacecraft is expected to touch down on the lunar surface on August 23.

The first image of the Moon sent by Chandrayaan-3 marks a significant milestone in Isro's ambitious lunar mission.

It not only demonstrates the spacecraft's technological capabilities but also provides a glimpse into the intricate details of the moon's surface, paving the way for future interplanetary missions.