Finally, at 1.15 PM, Chandrayaan-3s lander Vikram separated from its propulsion module today, said ISRO. Chandrayaan-3 Mission:Thanks for the ride, mate! 👋 said the Lander Module (LM).LM is successfully separated from the Propulsion Module (PM)LM is set to descend to a slightly lower orbit upon a deboosting planned for tomorrow around 1600 Hrs., IST.Now, 🇮🇳 has3⃣ 🛰️🛰️🛰️… pic.twitter.com/rJKkPSr6Ct— ISRO (@isro) August 17, 2023As Chandrayaan-3 is on its way to Moon, its lander is scheduled to be separated from the spacecrafts propulsion module today (On Thursday). Reportedly, the lander and rover, Pragyaan, are expected to land on the Moon in six days on August 23. Reaching the Moon, the lander Vikram will capture (photograph) the rover, which will deploy its instruments to study seismic activity on the lunar surface.https://twitter.com/isro/status/1692083786895474724s=20Lander Vikram to separate from its propulsion module todayNotably, Indias Chandrayaan-3 successfully completed its fifth and final lunar-bound orbit manoeuvrer yesterday, bringing the spacecraft even closer to the Moons surface. Now, the spacecraft is all set to separate Vikram from the propulsion module.Taking it to X (formerly known as Twitter), ISRO said, “Todays successful firing, needed for a short duration, has put Chandrayaan-3 into an orbit of 153 km x 163 km, as intended. With this, the lunar-bound manoeuvres are completed. Its time for preparations as the Propulsion Module and the Lander Module gear up for their separate journey.”Chandrayaan-3 Mission: Orbit circularisation phase commencesPrecise maneuvre performed today has achieved a near-circular orbit of 150 km x 177 km The next operation is planned for August 16, 2023, around 0830 Hrs. IST pic.twitter.com/LlU6oCcOOb— ISRO (@isro) August 14, 2023On July 14, Chandrayaan-3 was launched into space by the LVM3 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The spacecraft entered lunar orbit on August 5 and is expected to land on the Moon on August 23.What will happen on reaching Moons surfaceAfter Vikram lander gets separated from the spacecraft, the propulsion module will continue its journey in the same orbit. Then on August 23, the lander will attempt a soft landing on the Moons surface.Once it reached the surface of the moon, lander Vikram will photograph the rover Pragyaan which will use its laser beams to melt a piece of the lunar surface, called regolith, and analyse the gases emitted in the process.
