ISRO successfully injects Chandrayaan-3 into translunar orbit
What's the story
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that Chandrayaan-3, India's latest lunar mission, successfully left Earth's orbit and is now en route to the Moon. After completing its Earth orbits, the spacecraft entered the translunar orbit thanks to a successful perigee-firing performed at ISTRAC. The Lunar-Orbit Insertion (LOI) is scheduled for August 5, marking the next crucial step in the mission.
History
India's moon quest: Third time's a charm
Launched on July 14, 2023, Chandrayaan-3 follows India's previous Moon missions, Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2. The 2008 Chandrayaan-1 mission discovered water molecules on the lunar surface, while the Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2019 aimed for a soft landing but unfortunately crashed during descent. Chandrayaan-3 seeks to achieve that elusive soft landing and further explore the Moon's surface.
What next?
A successful landing will revolutionize space exploration
If the lunar landing on August 23 is successful, it could have a significant impact on future space exploration. Chandrayaan-3 aims to study the Moon's surface and subsurface, including mineralogy and elemental abundance, potentially shedding light on its origin and evolution. A successful landing would also showcase India's space exploration capabilities and foster international collaboration in space research.