
Chandrayaan 3: Last 20 minutes Before Soft Landing :Daring Endeavor Brings The Vikram Lander And Pragyaan Rover To The Moon’s South pole, Navigating a nail-biting twenty-minute descent
Chennai, 22 August(City Times): Chandrayaan 3: Last 20 minutes Before Soft Landing: In a remarkable display of scientific prowess, India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission is poised to etch its name in the history books as it strives for a gentle lunar landing. This daring endeavor brings the Vikram lander and Pragyaan rover to the moon’s south pole, navigating a nail-biting twenty-minute descent.
As the nation holds its breath,as last 20 minutes of the landing is very crucial. It is most challenging and critical for Pragyaan Rover and Lander Vikram for successfully land on Moon’s south pole. Chandrayaan-3 promises to achieve what few have mastered: a soft touch on the moon’s surface, marking a monumental leap for Indian space exploration.

Countdown to a Historic Moment
The nation is bracing itself for an intense experience on Wednesday evening. In a groundbreaking attempt, India’s Chandrayaan-3 is set to softly land its Vikram lander with the Pragyaan rover near the moon’s south pole. The upcoming twenty minutes mark a nerve-wracking journey, often likened to the tension of a T-20 cricket match.
Subhead 2: Orbiting and Preparations
Following its impressive launch, Chandrayaan-3 was placed into orbit by ISRO’s mighty Bahubali rocket. This marked the beginning of a journey filled with elliptical orbits around the Earth to gather momentum. On August 1, it embarked on a 3.84 lakh km voyage towards the moon, eventually entering the moon’s orbit on August 5 and stabilizing itself.

Subhead 3: Delicate Separation and Descent
In a critical move, the propulsion module and Vikram lander with Pragyaan rover detached on August 17, while the satellite orbited at 153 km by 163 km. Subsequently, the Vikram lander descended to an elliptical orbit of 134 km by 25 km, preparing for the powered descent.
Subhead 4: The Heart-Pounding Descent
The pivotal day of landing brings forth the “twenty minutes of terror.” Under commands from Bengaluru, the Vikram lander initiates its descent from 25 km altitude. Hurtling at 1.68 km per second (6048 km per hour), it begins a controlled slow down in the rough braking phase, lasting about 11 minutes.
Subhead 5: Precision in the Final Moments
As the Vikram lander adjusts its orientation, it enters the “fine braking phase.” At an altitude of 800 meters, its horizontal and vertical speeds halt, and it hovers above the lunar surface. Progressing to 150 meters, the lander captures images for hazard detection and identifying the optimal landing site.
Subhead 6: The Touchdown and Exploration
With careful precision, the Vikram lander touches down using two engines, and its legs, built to withstand impact, cushion the landing. Upon sensing contact with the lunar surface, the engines shut down, ending the intense twenty-minute period. The Pragyaan Rover is gradually deployed to explore the moon’s terrain.
A Promising Future
Once the rover is on the lunar surface, the Vikram lander captures images of the rover, while the Pragyaan rover reciprocates. This exchange of images, the first from the lunar surface, signals the dawn of scientific exploration. Both lander and rover are solar-powered and built to endure a lunar day, equivalent to 14 Earth days.
If successful, India will secure its place as the fourth country to softly land on an extraterrestrial body. This achievement signifies a monumental step for ISRO and a giant leap for a nation of 1.4 billion people, akin to the celestial ‘Hanuman’ leap.
ISRO’s Live Telecast of Historic Landing Process
As the anticipation builds for the historic landing of Chandrayaan-3, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to provide live coverage of the event. The live telecast of the landing process is scheduled to commence at 5.20 pm tomorrow, just ahead of the anticipated landing at 6.04 pm.
ISRO announced this exciting development on Monday and shared the livestreaming link on its official website. This initiative aims to provide a glimpse of the remarkable landing process to space enthusiasts and the general public alike.
Chandrayaan-3’s Lander Module’s Quest for the Perfect Landing Spot
The Lander Module of Chandrayaan-3, which consists of the lander Vikram and rover Pragyan, has been engaged in a significant task – scouting for the optimal landing location. After successfully executing the necessary orbiting and deboosting maneuvers around the Moon, the Lander Module has been diligently searching for the ideal spot to touch down.
The meticulous preparations and maneuvers pave the way for a smoother landing, minimizing the risks associated with such complex missions. Moreover, a noteworthy development occurred on Monday with the establishment of two-way communication between Chandrayaan-3’s Lander Module and Chandrayaan-2’s Orbiter, enhancing the connectivity and facilitating data exchange between the two mission components.
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