The telemetry, tracking and command network of the Indian space agency (ISTRAC) performed the third lunar-bound orbit manoeuvre for India’s lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft, the agency said on Wednesday.
“The manoeuvre was performed successfully today (Wednesday) beginning at 9.04 hours IST, using the on-board propulsion system. The duration of the exercise was 1,190 seconds (19.84 minutes),” said state-run Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in a statement on its official website. All spacecraft parameters are normal.
“The next lunar-bound orbit manoeuvre is scheduled on August 30 between 6-7 p.m. IST,” the statement added.
#ISRO
Third Lunar bound orbit maneuver for Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft was performed successfully today (August 28, 2019) at 0904 hrs IST.For details please visit https://t.co/EZPlOSLap8 pic.twitter.com/x1DYGPPszw
— ISRO (@isro) August 28, 2019
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 September2) 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, 2019.
Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft with lander Vikram and rover Pragyan was launched on-board a heavy rocket (GSLV Mark III) on July 22 from ISRO’s rocket port at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh off the Bay of Bengal coast, about 90km northeast of Chennai.