Indian Creates History, Becomes First Country To Land On The Lunar South Pole: Tracing Chandrayaan-3's Journey, A Look At Its Impeccable Ride

Departing from Sriharikota, Chandrayaan-3 is composed of the lander named Vikram and the rover called Pragyan. The lander's purpose is to facilitate a secure and gentle touchdown on the lunar terrain. Subsequently, the rover will conduct on-site chemical assessments of the lunar surface. The mission aims to create and showcase novel technologies essential for voyages between celestial bodies. The operational span of the lander and rover extends for a single lunar day, which is equivalent to a duration of 14 Earth days.

As Chandrayaan-3 prepares for its landing, let's have a look at its journey:

July 7-13: The launch scheduled for this period, after which the vehicle's electrical tests were concluded. A launch rehearsal was executed, and the general public was invited to partake in the significant event.

July 14: The much-anticipated day arrives. Chandrayaan-3 is lifted off from Sriharikota, commencing its expedition to the Moon. The spacecraft's health remains within the normal range.

July 15: The inaugural orbit-raising maneuver unfolds, with the successful execution of Earth-bound firing 1 at ISRO, Bengaluru.

July 17: As Chandrayaan-3 progressively approaches the Moon, the second orbit-raising maneuver is skillfully conducted.

July 22: The fourth orbit-raising maneuver, also known as Earth-bound perigree firing, is finalized.

July 25: Another orbit-raising maneuver transpires, with plans set for the translunar injection on August 1.

August 1: Chandrayaan-3 is placed into the translunar orbit, with the lunar-orbit insertion (LOI) scheduled for August 5.

August 5: A significant milestone is reached as Chandrayaan-3 is effectively inserted into the lunar orbit.

August 6-16: Over this duration, Chandrayaan-3's orbit is gradually diminished, shifting from 170 km x 4313 km around the Moon to 153 km x 163 km.

August 17: Successful separation of the lander module from the propulsion module is achieved, and plans are made for deboosting on August 18.

August 19: Chandrayaan-3's lander module now orbits the Moon at a distance of only 113 km x 157 km. A second deboosting operation is scheduled for August 20.

August 20: The ISRO informs through their X handle that second and final level of deboosting is successful. The lander module's orbit will be minimized to dimensions of 25 km x 134 km. Following this adjustment, the module will undergo internal assessments and anticipate the arrival of sunrise at the designated landing location, as stated. The powered descent is projected to initiate on August 23, approximately at 5:45 pm. The anticipated time for Chandrayaan-3's lunar landing is 6:04 pm.

Aug 23: India has achieved a milestone by becoming the first country to land on the lunar South Pole. 

The critical phase of the mission unfolded during the landing's last leg. Around 20 minutes before landing, ISRO initiated the Automatic Landing Sequence (ALS). This allowed the Vikram Lunar Module (LM) to take control, utilizing its onboard computers and logic to identify a suitable site for a soft landing on the lunar surface.