Chandrayaan-3: Vikram’s Progress Towards Lunar Landing

Vikram, the lander part of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, successfully completed its first deboost manoeuvre on Friday. This significant step brings the mission one step closer to its planned landing on the lunar surface scheduled for August 23. The deboost manoeuvre was performed after the separation of the propulsion module, which occurred just a day before.

Accompanying Vikram on this mission is Pragyan, the rover. Together, they make up the landing module of Chandrayaan-3. The successful completion of the deboost manoeuvre indicates the steady progress being made towards the ultimate goal of landing on the moon.

The deboost manoeuvre is an essential step in the process of reaching the lunar surface. It involves reducing the velocity of the lander and the rover to ensure a controlled descent, ultimately leading to a safe landing on the moon. The successful execution of this manoeuvre is a critical milestone in the mission’s timeline.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission is India’s third lunar exploration mission and aims to build upon the successes of its predecessors, Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2. Chandrayaan-1, launched in 2008, discovered water molecules on the lunar surface, while Chandrayaan-2, launched in 2019, aimed to be the first mission to land near the Moon’s south pole, although the lander, Vikram, experienced a last-minute communication failure.

With these previous missions as a foundation, Chandrayaan-3 seeks to further expand our understanding of the moon and its resources. The successful completion of the deboost manoeuvre is a promising step towards achieving this goal. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and their commitment to advancing space exploration.

Additional missions to the moon, such as Chandrayaan-3, play a vital role in gathering scientific data and contributing to our knowledge of the lunar environment. The information obtained from these missions has the potential to inform future lunar exploration and potentially pave the way for human missions to the moon.

Sources:
– The Times of India
– The Indian Express