With its successful entry into lunar orbit, Chandrayaan 2 passes one of the important milestones that remain before the attempt to land softly

Tech2 News StaffAugust 20, 2019 10:28:15 IST

The second Indian lunar mission, Chandrayaan 2, successfully passed a major milestone today by breaking with the Earth's orbit and entering the orbit of the moon's influence. C & # 39; one of the few remaining critical milestones in the mission before the spacecraft attempt a soft landing in the polar region south of the moon on September 7.

The Indian space research organization announced that the spacecraft had completed the Lunar Orbit (LI) insertion today (20 August 2019) in a tweet.

When the moon was at its peak – its furthest point from Earth – Chandrayaan 2Embedded thrusters fired for 1738 seconds, generating just enough thrust to slow down "lunar capture& # 39 ;. This controlled transfer event – freeing itself from Earth's orbit of influence in that of the Moon – has unfolded over several hours starting at 20:02, August 20.

#ISRO
Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) of # Chandrayaan2 The maneuver has been successfully completed today (August 20, 2019). The duration of the maneuver was 1738 seconds from 0 h 02 HST.

For more details, visit https://t.co/FokCl5pDXg

– ISRO (@isro) August 20, 2019

An illustration of the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter in the orbit of the moon. Image: ISRO

The critical step required that the liquid apogee engines are triggered in the opposite direction to the movement of the spacecraft, slowing it so "retrofiringThis allowed the probe to be under the influence of the moon's orbit The position of the moon in relation to the Earth (and the Earth in relation to the Sun) changing constantly, the intersection of The path of Chandrayaan 2 with the moon was predicted and planned well in advance.

Orbit diagram for Chandrayaan 2 misson. Image: ISRO

Now that the lunar capture, or the entry of the spacecraft on lunar orbit, is complete without a hitch or problem, the two-week mission phase (linked to the moon) begins.

This is an important part of the orbiter's mission: to monitor for the first time his one-year-old house, to ensure that his instruments are not damaged during the journey, and a Thorough examination of the landing site of the Vikram lander south of the moon. Polar region.

Chandrayaan 2 should do its long awaited downhill and motorized landing on September 7th in what the ISRO chief describes as15 minutes of terror& # 39 ;.

Although subsequent events of the mission are not broadcast live, you can get live updates on the mission on our dedicated site. Domain Chandrayaan 2, our Twitter page, ISRO website, or Twitter page.

Find our full collection of stories, in-depth reviews, live updates, videos and more on Chandrayaan 2 Moon Mission on our dedicated area # Chandrayaan2TheMoon.