Chandrayaan 2 Enters Lunar Orbit Successfully, ISRO Completes Tricky Operation Ahead of Moon Landing
India's second moon mission Chandrayaan 2 successfully entered Moon's orbit today, completing a key stage ahead of its expected landing on Moon on September 7.
New Delhi, August 20: India's second moon mission Chandrayaan 2 successfully entered Moon's orbit today, completing a key stage ahead of its expected landing on Moon on September 7. "Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) maneuver was completed successfully today at 9:02 am as planned...With this, Chandrayaan-2 was successfully inserted into a Lunar orbit," Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.
The 'Baahubali' GSLV rocket successfully put Chandrayaan 2 spacecraft into Earth's orbit on July 22. After its successful insertion into lunar orbit, a series of orbit maneuvers will be performed on Chandrayaan 2 on August 20, 21, 28, 30 and September 1 to lower the altitude of the spacecraft. "Subsequently, the lander will separate from the Orbiter and enters into a 100 km X 30 km orbit around the Moon," ISRO said. Chandrayaan 2 Explained! When Will ISRO's GSLV-Mk III Reach Moon And What Will Happen After That?
"Then, it will perform a series of complex braking maneuvers to soft land in the South polar region of the Moon on September 7, 2019," the space agency added. Chandrayaan 2 spacecraft left Earth's orbit and successfully entered the Lunar Transfer Trajectory (LTT) on August 14.
Chandrayaan 2: Where Is The Spacecraft Now & When It Will Reach The Moon; Know ISRO Mission's Path:
ISRO is continuously monitoring the progress of the mission from the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru with support from Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) antennas at Byalalu.
After the soft landing on the moon, which has been described as “15 minutes of terror” by Sivan, the wheeled rover will move on the lunar surface and will perform on-site chemical analysis. The rover will carry out experiments on the Lunar surface for a period of 1 Lunar day, which is equal to 14 Earth days.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 20, 2019 10:08 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).