Chennai: ISRO on Monday released pictures of the far side of Moon — the lunar hemisphere that always faces away from Earth. A day earlier Vikram, the Chandrayaan-3 Lander set the stage for a controlled landing planned for around 6.04pm on August 23 by entering a pre-landing orbit of 25km x 134km.
Images showed craters on the Moon’s surface
Images released by ISRO on Monday showed craters on the Moon’s surface. The images have been captured by the ISRO craft’s Lander Hazard Detection and Avoidance Camera (LHDAC). This camera is designed to help find a safe landing location for the Chandrayaan.
ISRO on Monday said a two-way communication between the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter and Chandrayaan-3's Lunar Module has been established.
All four photos shared by ISRO were taken on August 19, a day before Vikram entered the pre-landing orbit. Landing is expected to commence on August 23 at around 5.45pm and Vikram is set to land on the lunar surface around 6.04pm.
Explaining why Vikram’s landing is planned on the day Sun rises on Moon, ISRO chairman S Somanath had said earlier: “...We want the landing to happen when Sun rises on Moon so we get 14-15 [Earth] days to work. If landing cannot happen on the first two days (Sun rise and the next day) we'll wait for another month and land in September.”
Landing would mark a significant step forward for Indian science
If all goes well, ISRO said the landing would mark a significant step forward for Indian science, engineering, technology and industry, symbolising our nation’s progress in space exploration.
The statement radiates optimism but there can be no doubt about the underlying anxiety. Rough terrain makes a South Pole landing difficult.
Very complex manoeuvre
Former ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair kept his fingers crossed and said it is a very complex manoeuvre and one has to be cautious as all systems have to work in unison for its success.
Nair, who headed the space agency when Chandrayaan-1 mission was launched in 2008, said a successful landing would herald a big beginning for ISRO's next phase of planetary exploration.
"It's a very complex manoeuvre. We narrowly missed it (soft landing on the Moon in Chandrayaan-2 mission) in the last two kms (above the lunar surface)," he told PTIon Monday.
"So there are a host of things that have to work in unison....thrusters, sensors, altimeters, computer software and all those things. Any glitch happening anywhere...we can be in trouble," Nair said.
Nair, who headed the space agency when Chandrayaan-1 mission was launched in 2008, said a successful landing would herald a big beginning for ISRO's next phase of planetary exploration.
"It's a very complex manoeuvre. We narrowly missed it (soft landing on the Moon in Chandrayaan-2 mission) in the last two kms (above the lunar surface)," he told PTIon Monday.
"So there are a host of things that have to work in unison....thrusters, sensors, altimeters, computer software and all those things. Any glitch happening anywhere...we can be in trouble," Nair said.
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