Chandrayaan-3: Where is spacecraft now? When will it land on moon?

Chandrayaan-3 live location: After successfully positioning and launching of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on July 14 has covered about two-thirds of the distance to the Moon.

The spacecraft is currently undergoing a series of orbit manoeuvres with the objective of reaching the moon’s orbit. 

The Indian Space Research Organisation expressed wave of excitement and joy by taking to their Twitter handle and wrote, “The spacecraft has covered about two-thirds of the distance to the moon. Lunar Orbit Injection (LOI) set for Aug 5, 2023, around 19:00 Hrs. IST.”

Earlier, on August 1, the space agency also announced that Chandrayaan-3 has completed its orbit around the Earth and is now en route to the Moon.

Also Read: Chandrayaan-3 update: ISRO's Chandrayaan 3 on course to moon after successful lunar transfer trajectory

Fourth country to land spacecraft on Moon 

Chandrayaan-3, India’s third lunar exploration mission, will make India the fourth country after US, China, and Russia, to land its spacecraft on the surface of the moon and demonstrate the country’s abilities for safe and soft landing on the lunar surface.

How many days Chandrayaan-3 will take to reach moon? 

Chandrayaan-3 will take nearly 33 days from the launch date to reach the orbit of the moon. Upon 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.

What is Chandrayaan-3 composed of ?

Chandrayaan-3 components 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.

Chandrayaan-3: Budget

The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is built on a budget of around Rs 615 crore or $75 million.

Chandrayaan-3 delayed earlier, know why 

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.

Also Read: ISRO Chandrayaan-3 mission FAQs: Launch date, place, timings, live streaming, other details

Moon serves as a repository of the Earth’s past and a successful lunar mission by India will help enhance life on Earth while also enabling it to explore the rest of the solar system and beyond.