Chandrayaan-3 inches closer to Moon’s surface as Orbit circularization phase commences

The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) spacecraft has moved closer to the Moon’s surface, with the latest orbit reduction maneuver has lessened than the current distance of 1,437 km. 

The spacecraft has entered a crucial phase with the commencement of the orbit circularization process.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) confirmed that a precision manoeuvre executed on the mission has resulted in achieving a near-circular orbit of 150 km by 177 km.

The next pivotal operation for Chandrayaan-3 is scheduled for August 16, 2023, around 8:30 AM IST. 
This marks another crucial step as ISRO has meticulously reduced the altitude of the spacecraft, which initially existed in an elliptical orbit around the Moon with an Apolune (the farthest point from the Moon) of 1,437 km before a manoeuvre was conducted earlier this week.

Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to the Chandrayaan-2 which was launched from the second launch pad at Andhra Pradesh’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre in July 2019.

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