Mumbai: India is on the verge of becoming the fourth country in the world to land on the Moon. India will achieve this feat after the United States, Russia and China, but India will be the only country in the world to land on the south pole of the Moon. India’s space mission Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14, 2023 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. Chandrayaan- was launched via GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle.

Catch live actions here

The country will be able to witness this historic achievement in the space sector live on August 23. ISRO has agreed for live streaming of the soft landing on the lunar surface. People can catch live actions on the official website of ISRO and also on the YouTube channel, Facebook and it will also be broadcasted live on DD National TV from 17.27 IST on Wednesday, August 23.

ISRO confirms that the mission is on schedule

ISRO also confirmed today that the lander is in a healthy state and the landing is scheduled on August 23. ISRO said that “The mission is on schedule. Systems are undergoing regular checks. Smooth sailing is continuing. The Mission Operations Complex (MOX) is buzzed with energy & excitement! The live telecast of the landing operations at MOX/ISTRAC begins at 17:20 Hrs. IST on August 23, 2023.”

Chandrayaan-3 in final phase ahead of landing

After 39 days of its launch, Chandrayaan-3 is in the final phase of landing on the Moon. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said that the spacecraft will make a soft landing on the Moon at 18.04 hours on August 23, that is Wednesday. However, the scientist at ISRO said that the decision to land or to postpone the landing will be taken two hours before the landing. If the situation is not favourable for landing then the landing will be delayed and will tale place on August 27. The landing site will also be changed under such circumstances.

UGC asks for live streaming of landing for students

The University Grants Commission (UGC) urged ISRO for live streaming of the landing for students across the country. ISRO agreed for the live streaming of the landing and said that the live actions will be broadcasted on its website and also on its official social media sites. There are special prayers being organised across the country for safe landing of the Vikran lander on the Moon.

Chandrayaan 3 entered development phase in January 2020

Chandrayaan-3 entered the development phase in January 2020 and was initially planned to be launched in 2021. However, the Covid-19 pandemic led to a delay in the progress of the lunar mission. The lander module (LM) ‘Vikram’ successfully separated from the propulsion module (PM) on August 17 and then i underwent deboosting manoeuvres and then descended to a slightly lower orbit.

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