Chandrayaan-2 Successfully enters Lunar Transfer Trajectory

The final orbit raising manoeuvre of Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft was successfully carried out today (August 14, 2019) at 02:21 am IST. During this manoeuvre, the spacecraft’s liquid engine was fired for about 1203 seconds. With this, Chandrayaan-2 entered the Lunar Transfer Trajectory. Earlier, the spacecraft’s orbit was progressively increased five times during July 23 to August 06, 2019. The health of the spacecraft is being continuously monitored from the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru with support from Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) antennas at Byalalu, near Bengaluru. Since its launch on July 22, 2019 by GSLV MkIII-M1 vehicle, all systems onboard Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft are performing normal.  Chandrayaan-2 will approach Moon on August 20, 2019 and the spacecraft’s liquid engine will be fired again to insert the spacecraft into a lunar orbit.  Following this, there will be further four orbit manoeuvres to make the spacecraft enter into its final orbit passing over the lunar poles at a distance of about 100 km from the Moon’s surface.

Tentative plan for future operation after Trans Lunar Injection are as follows,

  Date Time Orbit around moon
LOI/LBN#1 August 20, 2019 8:30-9:30 118  X  18078
LBN#2 August 21, 2019 12:30 – 13:30 121 X 4303
LBN#3 August 28, 2019 05:30 – 06:30 178 X 1411
LBN#4 August 30, 2019 18:00 – 19:00 126 X 164
LBN#5 September 01, 2019 18:00 – 19:00 114 X 128

Subsequently, Vikram lander will separate from the orbiter on September 02, 2019.  Two orbit manoeuvres will be performed on the lander before the initiation of powered descent to make a soft landing on the lunar surface on September 07, 2019.

Source: https://www.ISRO.gov.in


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