Chandrayaan 3: ISRO releases fresh images of moon from lander module camera

• Image Credit: Google

• Aug 22, 2023 | Dhupali Das

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Tuesday shared fresh images of the moon captured by...

Digital Desk: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Tuesday shared fresh images of the moon captured by Vikram Lander's Imager Camera 4. ISRO shared images of the Moon's surface on its X account.

Earlier, ISRO had stated that the Chandrayaan 3-moon mission is on schedule and that the systems are being tested on a regular basis. "Smooth sailing is continuing. The Mission Operations Complex (MOX) is buzzed with energy & excitement!" ISRO said in a post on X.

According to ISRO, the images of the moon were captured on August 19 by the lander position detection camera (LPDC) at a height of about 70 kilometers.

"LPDC images assist the Lander Module in determining its position (latitude and longitude) by matching them against an onboard moon reference map", ISRO stated.

The soft landing of the Vikram lander on the Moon's south pole is expected to take place on Wednesday. According to experts, the final 20 minutes before the smooth landing are critical. The landing will be programmed by ISRO mission scientists the day before.

Last Thursday, the 'Vikram' lander successfully separated from the propulsion module. It performed two critical deboosting maneuvers before descending to a slightly lower orbit.

On Monday, the Chandrayaan 3 lander module established a connection with Chandrayaan 2's orbiter. "‘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", the ISRO had posted on X.

A GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle was utilized to launch the spacecraft, which was then lowered closer to the moon's surface via a series of orbital maneuvers.

If successful, the Chandrayaan 3 mission will make India the fourth country after the United States, Russia, and China to carry out a soft landing on the lunar surface.