Chandaryan-3 Vikram lander module is inches away from landing on the moon
India's third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, is inching closer to landing on the Moon's south pole. The lander module, Vikram, separated from the propulsion module on August 18 and is now in an orbit of 113 kilometers by 157 kilometers around the Moon.
The next step for Vikram is to perform a deorbit maneuver on August 22. This will reduce its orbit to 30 kilometers by 100 kilometers. On August 23, Vikram will attempt a soft landing on the Moon's south pole.
The landing on the Moon's south pole is a significant challenge, as this region is heavily cratered and has a thin atmosphere. However, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is confident that Vikram will be able to successfully land.
If Vikram can successfully land on the Moon, it will be India's first lunar landing si...