Orbiter welcomes lander; historic moment for Vikram
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The scientific world will have its eyes on Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander, which will slowly descend on the moon just before sunset tomorrow. Vikram Lander's journey has received a heroic look after the crash of the Russian space force's Luna-25. It will touch the moon at 6:04 pm. The live streaming of the spacecraft's moon landing will begin tomorrow at 5:20 pm. People can watch this on ISRO's website.
Chandrayaan-2 failed in 2019, but the orbiter that was a part of it is orbiting the moon like ISRO's eyes and ears. Since yesterday, the orbiter has taken over communication with the Earth as an aid to the Vikram lander. ISRO shared the news on Twitter with the caption 'Welcome Buddy!' Chandrayaan 3 did not have an orbiter as this mission was pre-planned.
Yesterday, ISRO released images of the Moon's south pole captured by the Vikram lander and sent by the orbiter. The ISTRAC centre in Bengaluru communicates with the Vikram lander through the orbiter. The images of the lander monitoring the areas suitable for landing were released yesterday. It features craters at the South Pole. These images were captured by the Lander Hazard Detection and Avoidance Camera (LHDAC), which helps ensure a safe landing without rocks or craters.
Base will be fixed today
- The landing spot will be decided today. The scientists in Bengaluru will analyze the photos taken from the lander and select the location.
- The speed control system and communication system to control the probe will be ensured.
Landing tomorrow
- A message will be sent to the lander indicating the place to land
- The orbit will be centred at that point
- At 5 pm, the speed will be reduced.
- At 5:47 it will start the descend
- Touch down at 6:04