The operation, which began at 8:30 a.m., was conducted from the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru.
According to ISRO, today’s successful firing has placed Chandrayaan-3 in the intended orbit of 153 km x 163 km, completing the lunar bound manoeuvre. Chandrayaan-3 consists of a lander module (LM), a propulsion module (PM), and a rover.
After completing five orbit reduction manoeuvres, ISRO is now preparing for the next crucial operation scheduled for August 17. The Propulsion Module and the Lander Module will undergo separate journeys, with the separation of the Lander Module from the Propulsion Module planned for August 17, 2023.
The propulsion module will detach from the lander while in orbit. The expected touchdown on the moon’s surface is at 5:47 p.m.
Following the launch on July 14, Chandrayaan-3 completed five Earth-bound manoeuvres between July 15 and 25. The crucial trans-lunar injection (TLI) was carried out on August 1 to propel Chandrayaan-3 towards the moon.
Chandrayaan-3 reached the lunar orbit on August 5 and was successfully inserted into the lunar orbit.