Can Chandrayyan-3 Landing Be Postponed, ISRO Scientist Tells

Chennai: ISRO will go ahead with the Chandrayyan-3 landing on the lunar surface only if conditions on the day are favourable. Otherwise, a fresh attempt will be made on August 27.

Nilesh M Desai, Director, Space Applications Centre, ISRO said we will take a decision on whether or not it will be appropriate to land Chandrayaan. We will decide about it two hours before scheduled landing. Decision will be taken based on the health of the lander module and the conditions on the Moon. In case, if any factor appears to be not favourable, then we will land the module on the Moon on August 27, Desai said.

Lander module expected to reach the lunar surface as per original schedule

Desai, however, expressed confidence that Vikram, the mission’s lander module, will reach the lunar surface as per the original schedule. According to ISRO, Vikram’s landing will be attempted a little after 6 pm on August 23.

Excitement is peaking around the globe as Chandrayaan-3 prepares for landing on the Moon Wednesday evening, a historic achievement that will make India only the 4th nation to carry out the exceptional feat, joining the United States, Russia, and China. 

India could become first country to achieve a soft-landing on Moon’s South Pole

The recent failure of Russia’s Luna-25 mission means that India has an opportunity to become the first country to achieve a soft-landing on the Moon’s South Pole. 

Earlier, on Monday ISRO had said that a two-way communication between the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter and Chandrayaan-3's lander module has been established.

ISRO Chairman and Secretary Department of Space S Somanath called on the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology, Atomic Energy and Space Jitendra Singh in New Delhi today and apprised him of the status and readiness of ‘Chandrayaan-3’ for the moon landing scheduled on August 23, 2023.