Chandrayaan-3’s Fifth Orbit-raising Manoeuvre Completed Successfully: Isro

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) announced on Tuesday that the Chandrayaan-3 successfully completed the fifth orbit-raising manoeuvre, commonly known as earth-bound perigee firing.

“The spacecraft is expected to attain an orbit of 127609 km x 236 km. The achieved orbit will be confirmed after the observations,” Isro said in a tweet.

The next fire, known as the TransLunar Injection (TLI), is scheduled on 1 August 2023, between 12 a.m. and 1 a.m. Indian Standard Time (IST).

Following the TLI, the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft would leave Earth orbit and travel to the region of the Moon, according to an ISRO official.

In other words, the spacecraft would begin its journey towards the Moon on 1 August after leaving the Earth’s orbit following the sixth TLI manoeuvre, which would place it on a “lunar transfer trajectory.”

— Isro (@isro)

Previously, on 25 July the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft was fired for the fourth time from the Isro Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru.

On 14 July, the Chandrayaan-3 mission to the Moon was launched. Isro has stated that the lander will try a soft touchdown on the Moon’s surface on 23 August.