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Wednesday, August 14, 2019, 14:50
Indian Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft enters Lunar Transfer Trajectory
By Xinhua
Wednesday, August 14, 2019, 14:50 By Xinhua

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.

ALSO READ: India's moon mission lifts off, hopes to probe lunar south pole

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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