The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that it has achieved two-way communication with the orbiter of the mission’s predecessor, Chandrayaan-3, days before the lander Vikram touches down on the lunar surface. Despite the fact that the Chandrayaan-2 mission’s lander was destroyed, the orbiter, PRADAN, is still in a 100 km by 100 km orbit above the Moon. The orbiter communicated a welcoming message to the lander Vikram, which is attempting to touch down on the far side of the Moon, according to a post on X (previously Twitter) by ISRO.
Welcome, friend! Ch-3 LM was officially welcomed by the Ch-2 orbiter. There is established two-way contact between the two. The space agency noted in its statement that MOX now has more options for getting to the LM.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
‘Welcome, buddy!’
Ch-2 orbiter formally welcomed Ch-3 LM.Two-way communication between the two is established.
MOX has now more routes to reach the LM.
Update: Live telecast of Landing event begins at 17:20 Hrs. IST.#Chandrayaan_3 #Ch3
— ISRO (@isro) August 21, 2023
Also read: Run-Up To Touchdown, Chandrayaan-3 Shares New Moon Images
Live coverage
Additionally, it stated that on August 23 (Wednesday), at 5.20 p.m., a live broadcast of the landing would start.
Live coverage of the landing will be available on Facebook, Doordarshan, YouTube, and the ISRO website.
Vikram took pictures of the Moon’s craters on the uncharted area of the lunar south pole, which is constantly facing away from the Earth, before the landing.
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The craters were recognized in the photos, which were taken last Saturday: Hayn, Boss L, Mare Humboldtianum, and Bel’kovich. ISRO has posted them on the social media website.
K Sivan, a former head of ISRO who oversaw Chandrayaan-2, the organization’s first lunar mission, said on Monday that the project will be a “grand success.”
“This is an extremely stressful time…This time, I’m confident, it will be a huge success,” Mr. Sivan said.
Vikram Sarabhai’s name on the craft
On Thursday, the spacecraft’s lander module successfully disengaged from the propulsion module, conducted vital “deboosting” operations, and lowered itself to a somewhat lower orbit. The Chandrayaan-3 mission’s lander bears Vikram Sarabhai’s name. Vikram Sarabhai, who lived from 1939 to 1971, is widely regarded as the founder of India’s space programme.
