Chandrayaan-2 enters Lunar Transfer Trajectory

Chandrayaan-2 enters Lunar Transfer Trajectory

Chennai, Aug 14 (UNI) The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft,launched from the SHAR Range on July 22, on Wednesday successfully entered the Lunar Transfer Trajectory, for a scheduled soft landing on the Moon’s South Polar Region on September seven. ISRO sources said the final orbit raising manoeuvre of Chandrayaan-2 was successfully carried out at 02:21 hrs early this morning. During this manoeuver, the spacecraft’s liquid engine was fired for about 1,203 seconds. With this, Chandrayaan-2 entered the Lunar Transfer Trajectory. Earlier, the spacecraft’s orbit was progressively increased five times from July 23 to August six. The health of the spacecraft is being continuously monitored from the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru with support from Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) antennas at Byalalu, near Bengaluru. Since its launch by GSLV MkIII-M1 vehicle, all systems onboard Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft are performing normal. Chandrayaan-2 will approach Moon on August 20 and the spacecraft’s liquid engine will be fired again to insert it into a lunar orbit.Following this, there will be further four orbit manoeuvers 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.