New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) reported that the Vikram lander of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft has accomplished its inaugural deboosting manoeuvre on Friday. ISRO confirmed the lander's module to be in a healthy condition, announcing through a post on X (formerly Twitter) that "LM successfully underwent a deboosting operation that reduced its orbit to 113 km x 157 km."

Deboosting involves the process of deceleration to position itself in an orbit where the nearest point to the Moon (Perilune) is 30 km and the farthest point (Apolune) is 100 km.

The second deboosting operation is slated for August 20, 2023, around 2 am.

Earlier, the lander was effectively detached from the propulsion module or the mother spacecraft on August 17, 2023.

The lander has been christened in honor of Vikram Sarabhai (1919-1971), widely acknowledged as the pioneer of India's space program.

On the preceding Wednesday, the spacecraft accomplished the ultimate orbit reduction manoeuvre en route to the moon, a week ahead of its planned touchdown on the moon's southern pole on August 23.

The launch of the spacecraft occurred using a GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle on August 5, which was subsequently positioned in lunar orbit. Since then, it has undergone a sequence of orbital adjustments.

Chandrayaan-3's mission was initiated by the Indian Space Research Organisation on July 14, and it has been a month and three days since its launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

ISRO aspires to accomplish a successful soft landing on the moon, a feat that would position India as the fourth nation globally to achieve this milestone, following the United States, Russia, and China.

Chandrayaan-3's objectives encompass a safe and gentle landing, rover mobility on the moon's surface, and on-site scientific investigations.

The sanctioned cost for the Chandrayaan-3 mission stands at Rs 250 crores, excluding the launch vehicle expense.

Commencing in January 2020, the development of Chandrayaan-3 initially aimed for a launch in 2021. However, the unforeseen disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic led to delays in its progression.

Chandrayaan-3 serves as ISRO's follow-up endeavor after the Chandrayaan-2 mission faced setbacks during its attempted soft landing on the lunar surface in 2019, ultimately falling short of its core mission objectives.

Key scientific achievements from Chandrayaan-2 encompass the creation of the first-ever global lunar sodium map, enhanced understanding of crater size distribution, and conclusive detection of water ice on the lunar surface using the IIRS instrument.

During the Chandrayaan-1 mission, the satellite completed over 3,400 orbits around the moon. The mission concluded when communication with the spacecraft was lost on August 29, 2009, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

S Somanath, the Chairman of ISRO, recently expressed confidence in the progress of Chandrayaan-3, affirming that all systems were functioning according to plan. Chairman S Somanath stated, "Everything is going fine now. There will be a series of manoeuvres until it lands (on the Moon) on 23rd August. The satellite is healthy."

The Moon serves as a repository of Earth's history, and a triumphant lunar mission by India holds the potential to advance life on Earth while also facilitating exploration of the wider solar system and beyond.

Traditionally, spacecraft missions to the Moon have primarily targeted the equatorial region due to its favorable terrain and operational conditions. However, the lunar south pole presents a considerably different and more challenging landscape compared to the equatorial region.