ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission is now much closer to the Moon. The spacecraft successfully left Earth's orbit on August 5 and is now in the lunar orbit. As of August 6, ISRO said the spacecraft successfully completed a planned lunar orbit reduction, meaning it is even closer to the Moon.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission Update:
— LVM3-M4/CHANDRAYAAN-3 MISSION (@chandrayaan_3) August 6, 2023
The Second Lunar bound orbit maneuver for #Chandrayaan3 spacecraft was performed successfully today (August 06, 2023) as planned, using the onboard propulsion system. The orbit achieved is 170 km x 4313 km.
The next Lunar bound orbit maneuver is…
The Moon, as viewed by #Chandrayaan3 spacecraft during Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) on August 5, 2023.#ISRO pic.twitter.com/xQtVyLTu0c
— LVM3-M4/CHANDRAYAAN-3 MISSION (@chandrayaan_3) August 6, 2023
If successful, India will join the ranks of a handful of countries like the US, China, and the former Soviet Union to soft land on the moon.