New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has said that the Chandrayaan-3 mission will enter into the Moon’s sphere of influence on August 5 after leaving Earth.
ISRO has successfully utilized a unique slingshot effect on Chandrayaan-3, a spacecraft destined for the Moon. This maneuver, which involves using a celestial body’s gravity to alter the spacecraft’s trajectory, not only conserved fuel but also provided valuable insights about Earth and the Moon during its orbits around Earth.
Chandrayaan-3’s final journey has now commenced, as it gradually approaches the Moon. To achieve this, the spacecraft first maneuvered away from Earth’s orbit and then entered a crucial point in the Moon’s gravity known as ‘perigee,’ where the Moon’s influence on the spacecraft became apparent. At this stage, the thrusters on Chandrayaan 3 were used to move tangentially into the Moon’s orbit.
ISRO now eagerly awaits the “Lunar Orbit Insertion,” which is scheduled to occur around August 5. During this maneuver, the spacecraft will be inserted into the Moon’s inner orbits. Before this phase, the spacecraft’s orbit was systematically raised in five stages following its launch on July 14.
The primary objectives of this mission are to explore achieving lunar orbits through the slingshot effect, make a soft landing on the Moon’s surface, and deploy a rover to collect and analyze samples.
Chandrayaan-3 aims to softly land on the Moon’s surface on August 23. Unlike Chandrayaan-2, which unfortunately crashed, Chandrayaan 3 aims to learn from the mistakes of its predecessor.
ISRO is gaining significant recognition in the field of space exploration missions as it showcases its expertise and achievements in interstellar travel.
