Bengaluru: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) today successfully conducted the third lunar-bound orbit maneuver for Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft.
“Third Lunar bound orbit maneuver for Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft was performed successfully today (August 28, 2019) beginning at 0904 hrs IST, using the onboard propulsion system.
The duration of the maneuver was 1190 seconds. The orbit achieved is 179 km x 1412 km,” ISRO said in a statement.
All spacecraft parameters are normal. The next Lunar bound orbit maneuver is scheduled on August 30, 2019 between 1800 – 1900 hrs IST,” it said.
In a major milestone for India’s second Moon mission, the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft had successfully entered the lunar orbit on August 20 by performing Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) maneuver.
After performing second lunar bound orbit maneuver on August 21, ISRO had released two sets of pictures of moon captured by the spacecraft.
There will be two more orbit manoeuvres to make the spacecraft enter into its final orbit passing over the lunar poles at a distance of about 100 km from the Moon’s surface.
ISRO has said subsequently the lander would separate from the Orbiter (on September 2) and enter into a 100 km X 30 km orbit around the Moon. Then it would perform a series of complex braking maneuvers to soft land in the South polar region of the Moon on September 7.