Another step closer: Chandrayaan-2 successfully performs second orbit raising task

New Delhi: India's second Moon mission Chandrayaan-2 that was launched into the earth's orbit on July 22, successfully completed its second earth bound orbit raising manoeuvre on Friday, ISRO said.

In a tweet, the Indian Space Research Organisation confirmed that the manoeuvre was "performed successfully today (July 26, 2019) at 0108 hrs (IST) as planned, using the onboard propulsion system for a firing duration of 883 seconds."

"The orbit achieved is 251 x 54829 km. All spacecraft parameters are normal," ISRO said.

"The third orbit raising manoeuvre is scheduled on July 29, 2019, between 1430-1530 hrs (IST)," it added.

The Chandrayaan-2 is scheduled to reach moon by August 20, the Indian space agency had said on Wednesday.

According to ISRO, the first earth bound orbit raising manoeuvre for Chandryaan-2 spacecraft was successfully performed on Wednesday afternoon by firing the onboard motors for 57 seconds, reported by News18.

On July 22, the Chandrayaan-2 was injected into an elliptical orbit of 170x45,475 km by India's heavylift rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Mark III (GSLV Mk III) in a text book style.

The spacecraft Chandrayaan-2 comprises three major segments - the Orbiter (weighing 2,379 kg, eight payloads), the lander 'Vikram' (1,471 kg, four payloads) and rover 'Pragyan' (27 kg, two payloads).

The Indian space agency said the major activities include earth bound maneuvers, Trans Lunar Insertion, Lunar bound maneuvers, the lander Vikram separation from Chandrayaan-2 and Vikram touch down on the moon's South Pole.

The ISRO said the Trans Lunar Insertion of Chandrayaan-2 is scheduled on August 14, 2019, which will send the spacecraft to moon.

After that, the Chandrayaan-2 is scheduled to reach moon by August 20, 2019, the ISRO said according to News18. The Lander and the Rover are expected to touch down near the Lunar South Pole in early September, becoming the first ever spacecraft to land in that region. The Lunar South Pole remains unexplored till date.

According to ISRO, the lander Vikram will land on the moon on September 7.

Originally the GSLV-Mk III rocket carrying Chandrayaan-2 was supposed to fly on July 15. Owing to a serious technical glitch the flight was postponed to July 22.

As a result, there are changes in the mission schedule.

As per the July 15 flight schedule, Chandrayaan-2's earth bound phase was 17 days and it is 23 days as per the new schedule.

On the other hand, the lunar bound phase which was for 28 days for July 15 flight schedule, has come down to 13 days.

Originally Vikram was planned to land on the moon 54 days after the rocket's lift off and now the landing will take place in 48 days.