Chandrayaan-3’s lander module, which is set to attempt soft-landing on the Moon on August 23, has established two-way communication with the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said on Monday.
The space agency further said that its mission operations complex in Bengaluru has now more routes to reach the lander module, which comprises lander Vikram and rover Pragyan.
On Sunday, ISRO said Chandrayaan-3 is set to land on the Moon around 6:04 pm on August 23. The live telecast of the landing event will begin at 5:20 pm, the agency said.
Earlier in the day, the space agency shared the images of the lunar far side area captured by the Lander Hazard Detection and Avoidance Camera (LHDAC). This camera, the space agency said, assists in locating a safe landing area — without boulders or deep trenches — during the descent is developed by ISRO.
ISRO is just days away from creating history if it succeeds in the soft-landing of Chandyrayaan- 3 on the Moon’s south pole, an unchartered territory on the lunar surface.
After landing on the lunar surface, Chandrayaan-3’s lander will spend 14 Earth days on the Moon. During this time, the lander payloads onboard will measure the near- surface plasma (ions and electrons) density and its changes with time, carry out the measurements of thermal properties of the lunar surface near the polar region, and measure seismicity around the landing site and delineating the structure of the lunar crust and mantle.
The rover payloads will carry out qualitative and quantitative elemental analysis, derive the chemical composition, and infer mineralogical composition to further understanding of the lunar surface. The payload will also determine the elemental composition (Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca,Ti,Fe) of lunar soil and rocks around the lunar landing site.
Russia’s first mission in the last 47 years to land on the south pole ended in failure after its mission spacecraft Luna-25 lost its connection during a pre-landing maneuver and crashed into the Moon.