Chandrayaan-3’s Lander Vikram Slows Down, Key Manoeuvre Successful

New Delhi:

India inched closer to its lunar dreams today with its ambitious Chandrayaan-3 mission performing a key manoeuvre ahead of its landing of the Moon’s surface next Wednesday.

The spacecraft’s Vikram Lander underwent its first ‘deboosting operation’ that slowed it down to enter an elliptical orbit around the Moon.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the country’s space agency, said the Lander Module (LM)’s health is normal and the key manoeuvre was successful.

“The Lander Module (LM) health is normal. LM successfully underwent a deboosting operation that reduced its orbit to 113 km x 157 km. The second deboosting operation is scheduled for August 20, 2023, around 0200 Hrs. IST,” the ISRO said on X, formerly Twitter.

With a successful landing on Moon, India will become only the fourth country to have achieved this feat.