Science

Chandrayaan-3 moon landing LIVE updates: ‘All set,’ says ISRO as Vikram lander prepares to touch down

August 23, 2023
Bharat Times

New Delhi: India’s ambitious mission Chandrayaan-3 is at the doorstep of the moon, hovering over its surface to soft-land an aircraft for the first time in the lunar south pole, a tricky terrain full of craters and deep trenches.

A successful touchdown of lander Vikram, which is carrying the rover Pragyaan, will be a significant leap for India’s space ambitions and also one for the world as it will expand knowledge of lunar water ice, which is potentially one of the moon’s most valuable resources.

Once it lands, Vikram will roll down Pragyaan to carry out in-situ scientific experiments of the lunar surface. Both solar-powered crafts will last one lunar day — which is equal to 14 earth days.

Priced at only Rs 615 crore, Chandrayaan-3 is a triumph of India’s cost-effective technology, and a fruitful mission will give a leg-up to its space power at a time Prime Minister Narendra Modi is looking to encourage investment in private launches and satellite-based endeavours.

Modi, who is attending the 15th BRICS summit in Johannesburg, will virtually join at the final moments of the landing operation which will be live telecast on Indian Space Research Organisation’s website, Youtube, and Facebook channels and also on DD National TV.

Watch the LIVE updates here:

02.10: All you need to know about the descent of Chandrayaan-3 on the lunar surface

02.01: Former director of ISRO’s public outreach department Dr P. Venkitakrishnan said everything was going on smoothly and that the contingency date of 27 August was just a backup.

01.35: Countdown to Chandrayaan-3 Mission Soft Landing! Join us for the live experience through this YouTube video link from our channel.

01.25: Who are the individuals driving India’s lunar mission? ISRO chairman S. Somanath and his team, including the Chandrayaan-3 project director and the director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), have contributed to the success of this mission. Learn more about the team.

12.52: Live telecast of operations at MOX begins at 17:20 Hrs. IST

12.14: Yoga guru Ramdev performs puja in Haridwar for the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

11.10: Role Vikram’s 2 cameras will play to soft-land it on the lunar south pole

India’s ambitious moon mission Chandrayaan-3’s lander Vikram is “at the doorstep of the moon”, Dr T.V. Venkateswaran said Wednesday, explaining how its two cameras will play a crucial part in the touchdown. Read here.

11.00: What are the seven payloads of the Chandrayaan-3 mission?

The mission carries a total of seven payloads, one of which is from NASA. Watch this video by Sandhya Ramesh to learn more about their anticipated functions.

10.45: As the landing date of Chandrayaan-3 draws closer, we have attempted to decipher common scientific jargon to enhance everyone’s understanding of space exploration. Dive into this video to discover what they entail:

10.30: Modi to virtually witness Chandrayaan-3 landing event from South Africa

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in South Africa to attend the 15th BRICS Summit, will virtually witness the historic landing attempt on the lunar surface as part of the country’s third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3. Read the report here.

09.50: Singapore High Commissioner Simon Wong expressed his prayers for the success of Chandrayaan-3.

09.30: Why is the South Pole of the Moon chosen as the preferred landing site for the upcoming Chandrayaan-3 mission? Watch the video to know.

09.15: What to expect in the next few hours, risks involved and why the lunar South Pole

09.00: All about Chandrayaan-3 and how to watch it live

The process will start at approximately 5.45 pm IST Wednesday when Vikram will begin descending from an altitude of 25 km. The entire sequence will take about 15 minutes, after which the lander is expected to soft-land at the lunar south pole around 6.05 pm IST. Explore this report by Sandhya Ramesh to prepare for the event