Chandrayaan-2, a three-module spacecraft weighing nearly 3,850 kg, has been successfully injected into the earth's orbit, three days after it took off from the launch pad at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The spacecraft, which was put into earth orbit on July 22, is scheduled to reach the Moon by August 20, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said on Wednesday. The first earth bound orbit-raising maneuver was performed successfully as planned on Wednesday at 2:52 pm using the onboard propulsion system for a firing duration of 57 seconds. The second orbit raising maneuver is scheduled on July 26 at 1:09 am, ISRO said on its website.  Chandrayaan 2 Explained! When Will ISRO's GSLV-Mk III Reach Moon And What Will Happen After That?

India’s second mission to the moon and consists of an integrated module- the Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan). The spacecraft will be subjected to a series of orbit manoeuvres in the coming weeks, with the rover soft landing planned on September 7.

First Earth Bound Orbit-raising Maneuver  Successfully Performed

The first earth bound orbit raising maneuver for Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft was performed successfully on July 24, 2019 at 1452 hrs (IST) as planned. It was done using the on-board propulsion system for a firing duration of 48 seconds. The new orbit will be 230 X 45163 km.

Second orbit raising maneuver on July 26

The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft is set to enter the second orbit on July 26, after entering the first orbit successfully on July 24. The second orbit raising maneuver is scheduled on July 26, 2019, at 0109 hrs (IST). The new orbit will be 230 X 45163 km.

Chandrayaan-2 Set to Have 15 Maneuvers

Chandrayaan-2 will perform 15 crucial maneuvers in the coming days, ISRO chief K Sivan said.  Chandrayaan-2 will explore a region of Moon where no mission has ever set foot. The spacecraft consists of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover together referred to as “composite body.”  Chandrayaan-2 New Images: ISRO Releases Photos of Moon Mission A Week Ahead of Launch, Describes Features.

Chandrayaan- 2 Moving in Right Direction

The ISRO said the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft is in "good health" and moving in the "right direction". The second lunar mission- Chandrayaan-2 on-board its powerful rocket GSLV-MkIII-M1 was launched on July 22 with the aim of landing a rover in the unexplored lunar south pole.

Landing on the Moon

The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft will land on the moon's south pole. The landing on this region is expected on September 6, 2019. The spacecraft will be the first Indian expedition to attempt a soft landing on the lunar surface. This mission will make India the fourth country after the US, Russia, and China to carry out a soft landing on the moon.

Watch: Chandrayaan 2: Where Is The Spacecraft Now & When It Will Reach The Moon

The launch of Chandrayaan - 2 launch was earlier scheduled for July 15, 2019 at 2:51 hrs but was later called off due to a technical snag noticed at around one hour before launch. An expert committee was constituted to analyze the issue and suggest remedial action. The expert committee identified the root cause of the technical snag and all corrective actions were implemented. On July 22,  Chandrayaan-2's separation from the rocket, the solar array of the spacecraft automatically got deployed and the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network at Bengaluru successfully took control of the spacecraft, ISRO said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 25, 2019 10:24 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).