According to ISRO Space Applications Centre Director Nilesh Desai, the main focus of the scientists could be on decreasing the pace of the spacecraft above the lunar floor.
CHENNAI: As scientists at ISRO gear up for the tender touchdown of the much-awaited Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the floor of the Moon, the area company might postpone the landing to August 27 within the occasion that well being parameters of the lander module are discovered to be “abnormal”, a senior official has stated.
ISRO had deliberate the tender touchdown of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft at 06.04 pm IST on August 23. The Moon mission was launched on July 14 at 2.35 pm from Sriharikota.
According to ISRO Space Applications Centre Director Nilesh Desai, the main focus of the scientists could be on decreasing the pace of the spacecraft above the lunar floor.
ALSO READ | Chandrayaan-3 mission on schedule; clean crusing for moon touchdown goes on, says ISRO
“The lander will try to land on the Moon’s surface from a height of 30km on August 23, and its velocity at that time will be 1.68 km per second. Our focus will be on reducing that speed because Moon’s gravitational force will also play its part,” he advised PTI in Ahmedabad.
“If we do not control that speed, there will be chances of a crash landing. If any health parameter (of the lander module) is found abnormal on August 23, then we will postpone the landing to August 27,” he stated.
Earlier within the day, ISRO stated the mission is on schedule and it’s clean crusing for the spacecraft.
“The mission is on schedule. Systems are undergoing regular checks. Smooth sailing is continuing,” ISRO stated.
ALSO READ | ISRO releases pictures of moon captured from 70 km altitude by Lander digicam
Chandrayaan-3 lander module’s tender touchdown on the lunar floor would put India within the elite membership of nations which have achieved the feat of reaching the Moon’s floor — the United States, the erstwhile Soviet Union and China.
ALSO SEE: