What to expect from Chandrayaan-3 landing on 23 August

Aug 21, 2023 - 15:30

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What to expect from Chandrayaan-3 landing on 23 August

India is reaching for the Moon. All eyes are now on Chandrayaan-3 as the landing date nears after Russia’s Luna-25 crashed onto the lunar surface.

Both India and Russia were racing for the Moon’s treacherous south pole, which has fascinated scientists for decades. Now India is likely to become the first country to land on the unexplored region, which is thought to contain water ice.

So how close is India to making history? And what can we expect in the days to come? We take a look.

Also read: Why Luna-25 crash-landed into the Moon and what it means for Russia

How has Chandrayaan-3’s journey been so far?

Chandrayaan-3, India’s third mission to the Moon, was launched successfully from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota on 14 July. Weeks later on 5 August, the lander entered the lunar orbit.

It moved closer to the Moon on 20 August, after the Lander Module (LM) completed its final de-boosting operation. With this, the lander has reached an orbit where the closest point to the Moon is 25 km and the farthest is 134 km, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) informed on Sunday.

An illustration showing Chandrayaan-3 after the orbit of the Landing Module (LM) was successfully reduced to 25 km x 134 km. PTI

When will Chandrayaan-3 land on the Moon?

The lander is expected to touch the Moon’s surface on 23 August. “Chandrayaan-3 is set to land on the Moon on August 23, 2023, around 18:04 Hrs. IST,” ISRO announced through a tweet. “Thanks for the wishes and positivity!”