Chandrayaan-3 Moon Landing Highlights: India makes history as Vikram Lander breaks ground with Moon’s Lunar Surface

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos took to his Instagram Threads platform and wrote, “Root for India! Good luck, Chandrayaan-3”. On the other hand Elon Musk too posted celebratory messages from his Twitter account. Nesthink posted on X and wrote, “Kinda crazy when you realise India's budget for Chandrayaan-3 ($75 million) is less than the film Interstellar ($165 million).” Responding to the tweet, Musk wrote, “Good for India,” with a tricolour emoji.

After checking all the parameters and deciding to land, ISRO will upload the required commands from its Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) facility at Byalalu near here, to the LM, a few hours before the scheduled touchdown time.

Read More Here: Chandrayaan-3 ambitious third Moon Mission: All set for automatic landing sequence, says ISRO

Yoga guru Ramdev conducted a sacred “yagya” at the Acharyakulam campus, accompanied by the recitation of the 'Hanuman Chalisa' by priests at a temple situated along the banks of the Ganga River, reported PTI. This spiritual ceremony took place on Wednesday, with the sole intention of invoking blessings for the prosperous landing of Chandrayaan-3. Ramdev presided over the yagya and havan, with students from Acharyakulam joining in by reciting Vedic hymns. Their collective prayers were dedicated to the successful fulfillment of the mission.

The Congress highlighted that India's voyage into space embarked in 1962 with the establishment of INCOSPAR, attributing this significant step to the visionary perspectives of Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai, generously bolstered by the country's inaugural Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, reported PTI. This affirmation from the Congress coincides with the day when Chandrayaan-3 is poised to make its historic lunar landing. ISRO has confirmed its readiness to initiate the Automatic Landing Sequence (ALS) for Chandrayaan-3's Lander Module (LM), marking a significant milestone in India's third lunar mission as it prepares to touch down on the lunar surface later today.

Kartikeya Sarabhai, the son of the eminent physicist and India's space program pioneer, Vikram Sarabhai, expressed on Wednesday that the Chandrayaan-3 initiative symbolizes the essence of “new India,” and every citizen takes immense pride in this remarkable undertaking. In a heartfelt tribute to Vikram Sarabhai, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has bestowed the name “Vikram” upon Chandrayaan-3's lander. This lander, in collaboration with the rover known as “Pragyan,” is poised to make its lunar touchdown on Wednesday evening. This significant achievement positions India as the fourth nation globally to accomplish such a feat and the very first to reach the uncharted south pole of the moon.

Residents across various areas of Delhi today gathered at temples, mosques, and gurudwaras to offer special prayers for the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 lander module on the moon. Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, among others, participated in a special “Ardas” held at the Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, where heartfelt prayers were offered for the mission's triumph.

In Mandoli, nearly 150 girl students from the Al Jamiatul Islamia Islahul Banat madrassa came together for a special prayer ceremony conducted hours before the scheduled landing of the Chandrayaan lander. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) organized a “Yajna” at Sant Nagar Burari, seeking divine blessings for the success of India's ambitious project. Vimlesh Bansal, a vedic scholar at the Arya Samaj temple, expressed, “We maintain steadfast faith that our collective prayers, offered with pure hearts and the sacred mantras of Vedas, will surely be heard by the divi

Union Minister of Youth Affairs Anurag Thakur conveyed his best wishes to the ISRO team today in anticipation of the Chandrayaan-3 lunar landing attempt. Thakur expressed the collective anticipation for the forthcoming success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

Speaking with PTI, Thakur remarked, ” India has made a huge leap in the Space sector. All of us are awaiting the moment when Chandrayaan-3 mission becomes successful. This will put India among the very few countries in the world that have made significant contributions to the Space sector.”

Ride-sharing company Ola is offering free rides to people whose rides will end at the time of Chandrayaan-3's landing on the Lunar surface. The Indian spacecraft is scheduled to land on the Moon at 6:04 PM.

Once the spacecraft reaches an altitude of approximately 6.8 km, it will utilize only two engines, deactivating the other two. This strategic maneuver is designed to provide reverse thrust to the lander as it continues its descent.

Upon approaching an altitude range of about 150 to 100 meters from the lunar surface, the lander will engage its sensors and cameras to meticulously survey the terrain, identifying and assessing potential obstacles. Following this assessment, the lander will initiate its descent towards a soft landing.

School children wish for the successful landing of the Chandrayaan 3 on the lunar surface, in Moradabad. (Image: PTI Photo)

Earthen lamps are lit in a formation that reads ‘Chandrayaan’ at Assi Ghat as prayers were offered for ISRO’s lunar mission Chandrayaan-3’s successful landing on Moon’s surface, in Varanasi. (PTI Photo)

ISRO is set to initiate the Automatic Landing Sequence for Chandrayaan-3. Taking to Twitter, ISRO posted, ” All set to initiate the Automatic Landing Sequence (ALS). Awaiting the arrival of Lander Module (LM) at the designated point, around 17:44 Hrs. IST. Upon receiving the ALS command, the LM activates the throttleable engines for powered descent. The mission operations team will keep confirming the sequential execution of commands. The live telecast of operations at MOX begins at 17:20 Hrs. IST”

Schools in Haryana will organise live streaming of Chandrayaan-3's soft landing to inspire the kids, state's Education Minister Kanwar Pal said today. He said all district education officers in the state have been instructed to open the schools from 5 pm to 6 pm on Wednesday.

A significant congregation of worshippers gathered at Bageshwar Dham in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh, to offer their prayers for the prosperous lunar landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon. People across the country have been praying for ISRO's successful landing of Chandrayaan-3. Vikram Lander is expected to land at the Lunar surface at

This highly anticipated event will be broadcast live on August 23, starting at 5:20 PM IST, and can be accessed through various platforms, including the ISRO website, its YouTube channel, the agency’s Facebook page, and DD National TV channel.

Read More Here: ISRO reveals exact landing time on Moon! Here’s when and where you can catch live of this historic event

On August 23, during the last 15 minutes of its mission, the Chandrayaan-3 lander from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will need to execute a crucial technical maneuver. This maneuver involves transitioning from a high-speed horizontal position to a vertical one, which is essential to enable a smooth and controlled descent onto the lunar surface.

Read Detailed Report Here: India’s race to the Moon – Chandrayaan-3’s attempt for a soft landing. How will it happen? Explained

The challenging topography of the lunar south pole presents significant obstacles, making India's first landing attempt there a historic milestone. This region's water ice holds the potential to serve as a valuable resource for fuel, oxygen, and drinking water for future missions, enhancing its importance.

For India, a successful lunar landing would signify its ascent as a prominent space power. This achievement aligns with the government's objectives under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, which include promoting investment in private space launches and satellite-based enterprises.

On Chandrayaan-3 mission, son of ISRO founder Vikram Sarabhai, Kartikeya Sarabhai told ANI, “It is a big day. It is a fantastic thing for anyone on the planet not just India to be able to send this precision with which we have been able to send Chandrayaan-3 & also through a process that is different from others…In science & engineering, we learn from mistakes…It will be a great thing for humanity because no one has been able to land on the south side of the moon…”

Here's a timeline of the journey that Chandrayaan-3 has taken:

July 14: LVM3 M4 vehicle successfully launches Chandrayaan-3 into orbit from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. Chandrayaan-3 starts its journey into precise orbit.

July 15: First orbit-raising manoeuvre (Earthbound firing-1) successfully performed from ISTRAC/ISRO, Bengaluru. The spacecraft is in 41762 km x 173 km orbit.

July 17: Second orbit-raising manoeuvre performed. Spacecraft is in 41603 km x 226 km orbit.

July 22: Another orbit-raising manoeuvre completed using earth-bound perigee firing.

July 25: ISRO performs one more orbit-raising manoeuvre. Spacecraft is in 71351 km x 233 km orbit.

August 1: ISRO performs Translunar Injection successfully and inserts the spacecraft into translunar orbit. Orbit achieved is 288 km x 369328 km.

August 5: Lunar-Orbit Insertion of Chandrayaan-3 performed successfully. Orbit achieved is 164 km x 18074 km, as intended.

August 6: ISRO performs second Lunar Bound Phase (LBN). With this, the spacecraft is in a 170 km x 4313 km orbit around the Moon. The space agency releases video of the Moon as viewed by Chandrayaan-3 during lunar orbit insertion.

August 9: Chandrayaan-3's orbit is reduced to 174 km x 1437 km after a manoeuvre is performed. August 14: Mission is in orbit circularisation phase after another manoeuvre. The spacecraft is in 151 km x 179 km orbit.

August 16: Spacecraft brought down to an orbit of 153 km x 163 km after firing is completed.August 17: Lander module is successfully separated from the propulsion module.

August 19: ISRO performs de-boosting of the lander module to reduce its orbit. The lander module is in 113 km x 157 km orbit around the Moon.

August 20: One more de-boosting or orbit reduction manoeuvre on the lander module is performed. The lander module is in 25 km x 134 km orbit.

August 21: Chandrayaan-2 orbiter formally welcomes Chandrayaan-3 lander module saying ‘Welcome, buddy!'. Two-way communication between the two is established. Mission Operations Complex (MOX) now has more ways to communicate with the lander module.

August 22: ISRO releases images of the Moon captured by the Lander Position Detection Camera (LPDC) of the Chandrayaan-3 mission from an altitude of about 70 km. Systems are undergoing regular checks. Smooth sailing is continuing.

August 23: Safe and soft landing of Chandrayaan-3's lander module on the southern pole of lunar surface expected at 6.04 pm.

(PTI)

Chandrayaan-3 is now hovering just 7.5 km above the lunar surface. The Indian spacecraft, as per ISRO, will land on the lunar surface at 6:04 pm. If everything goes well, India will become the first country to have landed on the South Pole of the Moon.

The Assam School Education Department has issued a directive for all schools to arrange special student assemblies to view the live stream of Chandrayaan-3's lunar landing on Wednesday. In a formal letter addressed to the Directors of Elementary Education, Secondary Education, the State Council of Education, Research and Training (SCERT), and the Managing Director of Adarsh Vidyalaya, they have been instructed to organize these special student assemblies in all state schools from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm on the said occasion.

Space Strategist, PK Ghosh gave his two cents on the On Chandrayaan-3 mission. “I think it is a very big day for India. The reason is that Chandrayaan 2 could not land & now we want to show the entire world that we not only have the technical capability but we have the ability to go and do a soft landing on the South Pole. The South Pole is an area where there has been no landing up till now…All the landings earlier have been in & around the equator. It is difficult to land on the South Pole & therefore it is a great achievement for India to do it on such a small budget. It is a big day,” Ghosh told ANI.

“This is an extremely happy moment for the country that Chandrayaan-3 will be landing tomorrow. I pray to god for its successful landing. The entire country is eagerly waiting for it,” Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday.

Leading technical institutions in Jharkhand, along with several schools, are fully prepared to host live broadcasts of the soft landing of ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission today. Their aim is to kindle a passion for space exploration among the kids.

In this endeavor, institutions such as the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-ISM) in Dhanbad, Birla Institute of Technology (BIT) in Mesra, and the National Institute of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (NIAMT), among others, have made all necessary arrangements to ensure the live streaming event is a success, as confirmed by officials.

Former ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair told ANI, “Everybody is anxiously looking forward to this great event. As far as the Indian space program is concerned, it is going to be the most significant milestone for planetary exploration…The last 20 minutes of descending from the lunar orbit to the lunar surface are going to be the most challenging moment in the history of this mission…”

Abhilash Tomy, an ex-Naval officer from Kerala and a renowned solo circumnavigator who secured the second position in the esteemed Golden Globe Race 2022, has disclosed his collaboration with ISRO for India's inaugural manned space mission, Gaganyaan. He made this announcement through the social media platform X, stating that he will be providing consultation to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) regarding space circumnavigation as part of their Gaganyaan program. He will also be working with the Indian Navy on their next circumnavigation attempt.