The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Chandrayaan-2 (Moon Chariot 2), with on board the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-mark III-M1), launches at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, an island off the coast of southern Andhra Pradesh state, on July 22, 2019. (ARUN SANKAR / AFP)
NEW DELHI - The final orbit raising manoeuvre of Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft was successfully carried out earlier on Wednesday, according to a statement of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The final orbit raising manoeuvre of Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft was successfully carried out today at 02:21 am IST. During this manoeuvre, the spacecraft's liquid engine was fired for about 1203 seconds
Indian Space Research Organisation
"The final orbit raising manoeuvre of Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft was successfully carried out today at 02:21 am IST. During this manoeuvre, the spacecraft's liquid engine was fired for about 1203 seconds. With this, Chandrayaan-2 entered the Lunar Transfer Trajectory," ISRO said in the statement.
READ MORE: India says Moon Mission-2 to land on lunar surface on Sept 7
Earlier, the spacecraft's orbit was progressively increased five times during July 23 to Aug 6, 2019, ISRO said.
Since its launch on July 22, 2019 by GSLV MkIII-M1 vehicle, all systems onboard Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft are performing normal, it said.
Chandrayaan-2 will approach Moon on Aug 20, 2019 and the spacecraft's liquid engine will be fired again to insert the spacecraft into a lunar orbit. Following this, there will be further four orbit maneuvers to make the spacecraft enter into its final orbit passing over the lunar poles at a distance of about 100 km from the Moon's surface, according to the statement.
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Chandrayaan-2 sent the first set of pictures of the earth earlier this month.
If successfully carried out, India would become the fourth country, following the US, Russia and China, to make a soft landing on the moon surface.
The nearly US$150 million worth of Moon Mission aims at gathering data on water, minerals and rock formations on the lunar surface.
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