Few days left for historic moment as ISRO performs fourth lunar-bound orbit manoeuvre for Chandrayaan-2

BENGALURU: The Chandrayaan-2 has successfully performed the fourth lunar bound orbit manoeuvre for spacecraft that is currently in the lunar orbit.

"Fourth Lunar bound orbit manoeuvre for Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft was performed successfully today (August 30, 2019) beginning at 1818 hrs IST as planned, using the onboard propulsion system. The duration of the manoeuvre was 1155 seconds. The orbit achieved is 124 km x 164 km," the ISRO said in an update.

There will be another orbit manoeuvre on Sunday to make the spacecraft enter its final orbit, passing over the lunar pole at a distance of about 100 km from the Moon's surface.

The lander will then separate from the Orbiter and enter into a 100 km X 30 km orbit around the Moon on September 2. Chandrayaan-2 will then have to perform a series of complex braking manoeuvres to soft-land in the South Polar Region of the Moon on September 7, 2019.