Bengaluru: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that Chandrayaan-3, India's lunar mission, has successfully completed its orbits around the Earth and is now en route to the Moon.
After injecting the spacecraft into the translunar orbit, ISRO confirmed the success of a perigee-firing performed at ISTRAC (ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network).
The national space agency stated, "Next stop: the moon. As it arrives at the moon, the Lunar-Orbit Insertion (LOI) is planned for August 5, 2023."
According to ISRO officials, the spacecraft has now escaped the Earth's orbit and is following a trajectory that will bring it into the vicinity of the Moon. The trans-lunar injection (TLI) maneuver, performed on Tuesday, initiated the spacecraft's journey towards its lunar destination and placed it on a "lunar transfer trajectory."
Chandrayaan-3, which was launched on July 14, is the next ambitious step in India's space exploration program, aiming for a soft landing of the lander on the lunar surface on August 23.
Prior to its journey towards the Moon, the spacecraft's orbit was gradually increased five times, marking significant progress for the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
Chandrayaan-3 is a crucial milestone that will bring India closer to achieving its goals on the lunar surface.