Successful Lunar Landing: ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 Mission Achieves Soft Moon Touchdown
ISRO has triumphantly achieved the lunar landing of Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander, solidifying its place among the select nations that have successfully touched down on the Moon.
Sumit Rawat
In a significant achievement, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has achieved a successful soft landing on the Moon with its Chandrayaan-3 mission. Departing from the Sathish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, the mission embarked on a 40-day journey, culminating in a meticulously executed lunar touchdown.
The pivotal moment occurred at 6.04 PM IST on August 23, as the Vikram lander made its controlled descent, aiming for a gentle landing on the lunar surface. Earlier, at 5.44 PM IST, ISRO initiated the automated landing sequence, shifting the responsibility to Vikram's onboard computers and logic. While ISRO's mission controllers at ISTRAC remained vigilant, the onboard systems of the lander took charge of the intricate landing process.
Chandrayaan-3 serves as a follow-up to ISRO's Chandrayaan-2 mission from 2019, which faced a setback when the Vikram lander crashed upon landing. The primary objective of Chandrayaan-3 was to showcase ISRO's prowess in achieving a successful soft landing on the Moon. This achievement now grants India membership in the exclusive group of countries that have mastered the complex feat of lunar soft landings. This distinguished club, until now, comprised only the United States, the Soviet Union, and China.
