On July 14, 2023, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched its third lunar mission, the Chandrayaan-3 as a follow-up to the 2019’s Chandrayaan-2 lunar mission. Now, it has been over a month since then and citizens of India have been eagerly awaiting the landing of the Chandrayaan-3 rover on the moon’s surface. And if you are of one them, let’s learn about Chandrayaan -3 landing date and time.
Chandrayaan-3 Moon Landing Countdown Timer
The Chandrayaan-3 lander dubbed the Vikram lander along with the Pragyan rover is expected to complete its successful touchdown on the south pole of the Moon on August 23, 2023. This is poised to be a remarkable moment for our country. And to help you stay on top of the Chandrayaan 3 Moon Landing live status, we have added an embedded timer for your convenience. So, bookmark this article and check back to witness this historic moment as it unfolds. Chandrayaan-3 Moon Landing Countdown
However, do note that for a successful landing to happen, there has to be a sunrise on the Moon. So, another prospective landing date is August 24 as well. ISRO chairman Mr. Somnath has further added that if for some reason the landing does not go as planned on either of the two dates, ISRO will wait an additional month and will try to land the Chandrayaan-3 lander in September.
Now, you must be thinking why it’s taking Chandrayaan-3 40 days to land on the Moon’s surface. To understand this, it’s important to have some knowledge about the mission and its progress so far.
Chandrayaan-3: Journey So Far
To paint a complete picture, here is the complete timeline of Chandrayaan-3, India’s third lunar mission.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 14, 2023 | Chandrayaan-3 is successfully launched from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota at 2:35 pm IST inbound the LVM3 M4 vehicle |
| July 15, 2023 | Chandrayaan-3 performs its first-ever orbit-raising maneuver (Earthbound firing – 1), placing the aircraft in 41762 Km x 173 Km orbit |
| July 17, 2023 | Chandrayaan-3 performs the second orbit-raising maneuver to place the aircraft in a 41603 Km x 226 Km orbit |
| July 22, 2023 | The third orbit-raising maneuver places Chandrayaan-3 in a 71351 Km x 233 Km orbit |
| July 25, 2023 | Chandrayaan-3 performs its fifth orbit-raising maneuver in preparation for TransLunar Injection (TLI) |
| August 1, 2023 | Chandrayaan-3 inserts into the translunar orbit with an achieved distance of 288 Km x 369328 Km |
| August 5, 2023 | Chandrayaan-3 successfully inserts into the lunar orbit with the intended distance of 164 Km x 18074 Km |
| August 6, 2023 | Chandrayaan-3 completes its second lunar bound maneuver (LBM#2), placing it in 170 Km x 4313 Km orbit |
| August 9, 2023 | A successful maneuver reduces the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft’s orbit to 174 Km x 1437 Km |
| August 14, 2023 | Chandrayaan-3 enters the orbit circularisation phase at 151 Km x 179 Km |
| August 16, 2023 | Chandrayaan-3 enters orbit of 153 km x 163 km |
| August 17, 2023 | The Lander Module successfully separates itself from the Propulsion Module |
| August 19, 2023 | The Lander Module successfully executes its deboosting operation to reduce its lunar orbit to 113 Km x 157 Km. |
| August 20, 2023 | The second and final deboosting operation has commenced successfully, reducing the Lander Module orbit to 25 Km x 134 Km |
| August 23, 2023 | The Lander Module is expected to arrive at its designated point at 5:44 pm IST and will activate throttleable engines for powered descent upon receiving the ALS command. |
| August 23, 2023 | Chandrayaan-3 has successfully landed on the moon at 6:04 pm IST |
Chandrayaan-3 Mission Objectives and Overview
The main objective of the mission is to achieve a successful soft landing on the lunar surface. Additionally, ISRO has established two more objectives for the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Here are all the objectives of the Chandrayaan-3 mission:
- Achieving a safe and soft landing on the surface of the Moon.
- To observe and demonstrate the rover’s rovering capabilities on the surface of the Moon,
- Conduct in-situ scientific experiments
Take a look at the Chandrayaan-3 Mission overview attached below.
Category Details Mission Name Chandrayaan-3 Lunar Mission Mission Cost ₹615 crores Mission Status Success Launch Date July 14, 2023, 2:35 pm IST Launch Site SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota. Rover Weight 26 Kilograms Rover Duration ~ 14 Earth days Orbit Reduction 100 km orbit target was achieved by August 16 Mission Objectives To safely land the rover on the surface of the Moon, Rover roving demonstration, and in-situ scientific study Mission Phases Earth, Lunar Transfer, and Moon-centric Mission Progress The Lander Module has achieved a soft landing on the surface of the Moon Landing Date August 23 (06:04 PM IST) Landing Site The south pole of the Moon
Featured image courtesy: ISRO
