Chandrayaan-2 mission crossed major milestone, next big event on September 2: ISRO chief

Chandrayaan-2 mission has crossed a major milestone with the precise lunar orbit insertion maneuver on Tuesday, said Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chief K Sivan and added that the next big event will happen on 2nd September when the lander will be separated from the orbiter.

"Next major event will happen on 2nd September when the lander will be separated from the orbiter. On 3rd September we will have a small maneuver for about 3 seconds to ensure that the systems of the lander are running normally," Sivan said while addressing a press conference on Lunar Orbit Insertion of Chandrayaan 2.

ALSO READ: Chandrayaan 2 successfully placed in Moon's orbit by ISRO in crucial manoeuvre

Talking about the mission, Sivan said that the precise lunar orbit insertion maneuver was carried out at 9 am for about 30 minutes and Chandrayaan 2 was precisely inserted in the defined orbit.

ISRO Chief K Sivan: Next major event will happen on 2nd September when the lander will be separated from the orbiter. On 3rd September we will have a small maneuver for about 3 seconds to ensure that the systems of the lander are running normally. #Chandrayaan2 pic.twitter.com/gZjhR8QUL6

— ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2019

"It was tense 30 minute operation. The tension and anxiety kept on building as the clock ticked. It was a great relief and joy when the Chandrayaan-2 was put into the lunar orbit successfully," Sivan was quoted as saying by IANS soon after the crucial operation.

"We are visiting the moon once again," he added.

There will be further four orbit manoeuvres after this to make the spacecraft enter into its final orbit passing over the lunar poles at a distance of about 100 km from Moon's surface, ISRO has said. 

Chandrayaan-2, launched on July 22 by GSLV MkIII-M1 vehicle, had entered the Lunar Transfer Trajectory on August 14 after final orbit raising manoeuvre of the spacecraft was successfully carried out.

The health of the spacecraft is being continuously monitored from the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru with support from Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) antennas at Byalalu, near Bengaluru.

All systems on board Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft are performing normal, ISRO said on August 14. According to ISRO, Chandrayaan-2 India's second lunar expedition will shed light on a completely unexplored region of the Moon, its South Pole.

HIGHLIGHTS

• There will be further four orbit manoeuvres after this. 
• Lander will be separated from the orbiter on September 2.
• Chandrayaan-2 had entered the Lunar Transfer Trajectory on August 14.