The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Tuesday said the Chandrayaan-3 had performed its fifth earth orbit-raising manoeuvre (Earth-bound perigee firing).
“The spacecraft is expected to attain an orbit of 127,609 km x 236 km. The achieved orbit will be confirmed after the observations. The next firing, the TransLunar Injection (TLI), is planned for August 1, 2023, between 12 midnight and 1 am IST”, the ISRO tweeted.
The spacecraft will now prepare to enter the Moon’s orbit. The next step is to shift to an Earth-to-Moon trajectory, where the Moon's gravity will eventually pull it into its orbit.
Earlier this week, Indian Space Minister Jitendra Singh said that by the first week of August, the Chandrayaan-3 would complete five-six circles around the Moon, entering the innermost circle. In the following 10 days, it will identify the exact landing spot at the Moon's South Pole.
The ultimate aim of the mission is to achieve a soft landing with a lander and rover on a tentatively decided date, 23 August. If India successfully makes a soft landing on the Moon, it would be the fourth country to achieve this feat, following Russia, the United States, and China.