Chandrayaan-3: ISRO releases close-up images of moon, deboosting procedure initiated

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to make history as it looks forward to attempting a successful soft landing on the moon on August 23 under its Chandrayaan-3 mission.

Earlier, the spacecraft performed a successful separation of Vikram lander from the propulsion module on August 17.

Meanwhile, the Indian space agency on Friday (August 18) released new stunning images of the moon captured by the Vikram lander between August 15 and 17. It also shared a video filmed just after the separation of the lander and the propulsion module. Take a look!

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Chandrayaan-3 Mission:

🌖 as captured by the
Lander Position Detection Camera (LPDC)
on August 15, 2023#Chandrayaan_3#Ch3 pic.twitter.com/nGgayU1QUS — ISRO (@isro) August 18, 2023

Chandrayaan-3 Mission:

View from the Lander Imager (LI) Camera-1
on August 17, 2023
just after the separation of the Lander Module from the Propulsion Module #Chandrayaan_3 #Ch3 pic.twitter.com/abPIyEn1Ad — ISRO (@isro) August 18, 2023

ISRO said these images were taken by the Lander Position Detection Camera.

Biggest challenge for ISRO

ISRO Chairperson S Somanath said that the next biggest challenge for ISRO would be to change the direction of the lander. He mentioned that the initial velocity during the landing process is approximately 1.68 km per second, but this speed runs parallel to the moon's surface.

The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is currently tilted at almost a 90-degree angle and needs to transition to a vertical position.

The ISRO chief referred to this manoeuvre as the most important step in the landing attempt.

First de-boosting procedure initiated

On Friday, August 18,at around 4 PM IST, the lander module started 'deboosting'. Deboosting involves decelerating to establish an orbit where the nearest point to the Moon (Perilune) is 30 km and the farthest point (Apolune) is 100 km.

Watch:Chandrayaan-3: Challenges ahead of Vikram lander's solo journey to the Moon

From Chandrayaan-3 to Russia’s Luna-25 mission and Artemis II, global interest in lunar exploration is growing.

Why space powers are interested in exploring the moon?

The first confirmation of lunar water came in 2008, detected by India's Chandrayaan-1 mission. The mission detected hydroxyl molecules across the lunar surface and concentrated near the poles. Water is vital for human life and a potential source of hydrogen and oxygen, crucial for rocket fuel.

Furthermore, Helium-3, a rare isotope on Earth, is estimated to exist in about a million tonnes on the moon. It could offer nuclear fusion energy without radioactive waste, as suggested by the European Space Agency.

Also, valuable rare earth metals, essential for electronics and advanced technologies (like smartphones and computers), are present on the moon, including scandium, yttrium, and the 15 lanthanides. So, further exploration could pave the way for resource mining on the moon.

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