The Chandrayaan-3 mission has achieved a significant milestone by successfully completing the Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI). The insertion was carried out through retro-burning at the Perilune for a duration of 1835 seconds, commencing at 19:12 Hrs IST. This maneuver resulted in the spacecraft achieving an intended orbit of 164 km x 18074 km.

ISRO has now achieved the successful insertion of its spacecraft into lunar orbit for the third consecutive time, in addition to accomplishing the same feat for the Martian orbit.

As the mission progressed, a series of planned maneuvers gradually reduced Chandrayaan-3's orbit and positioned it over the lunar poles. After executing several maneuvers, the propulsion module separated from the lander while in orbit. Following this, a sequence of intricate braking maneuvers were carried out to facilitate a soft landing in the South Polar region of the Moon on August 23, 2023.

The health of Chandrayaan-3 remained stable throughout the mission. The spacecraft's condition was continuously monitored from the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking, and Command Network (ISTRAC), with support from the Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) antenna located near Bengaluru in Byalalu. Additionally, ESA and JPL Deep space antennas provided their assistance in this monitoring process.

On 23rd August, 2023 at 23:00 IST, the spacecraft successfully completed a planned orbit reduction maneuver. The engines were fired to bring it closer to the Moon's surface, reaching 170 km x 4313 km.

The next operation to further reduce the orbit is scheduled for August 9, 2023, between 13:00 and 14:00 Hrs. IST.

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