Chennai: A day after Lander Vikram got separated from Orbiter, the first de-orbiting manoeuver for Chandrayaan-2 was performed successfully today as the spacecraft inched closer for a soft landing on an hitherto unexplored frontier, the Moon’s South Polar region on 7 September.
ISRO in its update said the first de-orbiting manoeuver for Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft was performed successfully today
beginning at 8.50 am as planned, using the onboard propulsion system. The duration of the maneuver was four seconds. The orbit of Vikram Lander is 104 km x 128 km. Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter continues to orbit the Moon in the existing orbit and both the Orbiter and Lander are healthy.
The next de-orbiting manoeuver is scheduled tomorrow between 3.30 am and 4.30 am. The India’s second Lunar mission crossed yet another major milestone when Vikram Lander was successfully separated from the Orbiter yesterday.
“The health of the Orbiter and Lander is being monitored from the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru with support from the Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) antennas at Bylalu, near Bengaluru,” ISRO said.
During the second de-orbit manoeuver tomorrow, the orbit would further be brought down to 36 km x 110 km, followed by a powered descent and the Vikram Touch down on 7 September between 1.30 am and 2.30 am. Vikram would be placed in a 100 km X 30 km orbit around the Moon after which it will perform a series of complex braking manoeuvers to soft land in the South polar region of the Moon between two craters, Manzinus C and Simpelius N on 7 September at 1.55 am. which according to ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan will be ‘experiencing 15 minutes of terror.’
“The soft landing of Chandrayaan-2 Vikram lander on lunar surface is scheduled between 0130 hrs and 0230 hrs on Saturday, 7 September. This will be followed by the Rover roll out between 5.30 am and 6.30 am,” it added. After its rolled out of Lander, the six-wheeled robotic instrument Rover Pragyaan will perform in situ exploration of the surrounding lunar surface.
After its launch by GSLV MKIII-M1 vehicle from SHAR Range in Sriharikota on 22 July, the spacecraft’s orbit was progressively increased five times from 23 July to 6 August, before entering Lunar Transfer Trajectory on 14 August.
After entering the Moon’s Orbit on 20 August with the first Lunar bound orbit manoeuver, four more manoeuvers were performed on 21, 28 and 30 August and 1 September, leading to the separation of Lander from the Orbiter yesterday.
Chandrayaan 2 mission was aimed at boldly exploring the hitherto unexplored frontier, where no country has ever gone before – the Moon’s south polar region.