• Source:JND
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Chandrayaan-3 Latest Updates: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced on Saturday that Chandrayaan-3 has been successfully inserted into the lunar orbit. 

"MOX, ISTRAC, this is Chandrayaan-3. I am feeling lunar gravity," Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) tweeted.

"Chandrayaan-3 has been successfully inserted into the lunar orbit. A retro-burning at the Perilune was commanded from the Mission Operations Complex (MOX), ISTRAC, Bengaluru. The next operation - reduction of orbit – is scheduled for Aug 6, 2023, around 23:00 Hrs. IST," ISRO added.

The Lunar Orbit Injection (LOI) was set for around 7 p.m. today.

It is the third lunar exploration mission by India, which was successfully launched on the GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota on July 14. After the US, China, and Russia, India is the fourth country that has landed its spacecraft on the surface of the moon, demonstrating the country's ability for a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface.

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After landing, it will operate for one lunar day, which is approximately 14 Earth days. One day on the Moon is equal to 14 days on Earth.

Components of Chandrayaan-3

The components of Chandrayaan-3 include various electronic and mechanical subsystems intended to ensure a safe and soft landing such as Navigation sensors, propulsion systems, guidance & control among others. Additionally, there are mechanisms for the release of Rover, two-way communication-related antennas, and other onboard electronics. The stated objectives of Chandrayaan-3 are safe and soft landing, rover roving on the moon's surface, and in-situ scientific experiments.

The approved cost of Chandrayaan-3 is Rs. 250 crore (Excluding Launch Vehicle Cost).Chandrayaan-3's development phase commenced in January 2020, with the launch planned sometime in 2021. However, the Covid-19 pandemic brought an unforeseen delay to the mission's progress.

Chandrayaan-3 is the ISRO's follow-up attempt after the Chandrayaan-2 mission faced challenges during its soft landing on the lunar surface in 2019 and was eventually deemed to have failed its core mission objectives.

(With input from agencies)