Chandrayan-3 Propulsion Module Returns To Earth Orbit

Chandrayan-3 propulsion module (photo: dock. ISRO)

JAKARTA On Monday, December 4, the Indian Space Research Agency (ISRO) announced that the propulsion or propulsion module of Chandrayaan-3 has returned to around Earth's orbit.

Through its official release, ISRO said that the propulsion module was in high-Earth orbit after surrounding a low-orbit month since last October. ISRO admitted that the propulsion module was deliberately moved.

After successfully landing the Chandrayaan-3 lander on August 23, the propulsion module remained in lunar orbit to operate the Planet Earth Habitable (SHAPE) Spectro-polarization. Supposedly, SHAPE should have been operated for three months since Chandrayaan-3 landed.

However, ISRO changed their plans. The institute is trying to avoid the problem of propulsion modules falling to the surface of the Moon or entering the GEO Bumi belt at a distance of 36,000 kilometers which is likely to consume fuel.

On this consideration, ISRO began moving the propulsion module on October 9 by raising the apolune height, the furthest point on the lunar surface, from 150 kilometers to 5,112 kilometers.

On November 13, the module carried out transearth injection maneuvers so that it was on the lunar track. After flying across the Moon four times, the propulsion module finally left the moon on November 10.

Before moving the propulsion module away from the moon, ISRO had time to plan and implement the track and maneuver to return the module to Earth. They also had time to develop their software module.