Shillong, August 23: Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams has extended her best wishes to India as the Chandrayaan-3 mission’s lander module endeavors to touch down on the moon’s surface.
In a video message shared by National Geographic India, Williams expressed her excitement for the upcoming event, offering her support and encouragement.
As per IANS, Williams, a seasoned NASA astronaut with over 322 days spent in space across two shuttle missions, emphasized the significance of this moon landing. She highlighted that landing on the moon holds the potential to provide crucial insights into lunar composition and history.
National Geographic India is set to broadcast live coverage of the historic event, featuring insights from space industry experts and astronauts such as Williams and Rakesh Sharma, who bring their expertise in space exploration to the audience.
ISRO’s plan for Chandrayaan-3 entails the lander beginning its descent to the moon’s surface at 5.45 pm, with the anticipated touchdown occurring around 6.05 p.m. This intricate landing process involves a sequence of complex maneuvers, including precise rough and fine braking techniques. The powered descent of the lander will initiate from an altitude of 25 km.
Chandrayaan-3 was successfully placed into orbit on July 14 by India’s LVM3 heavy lift rocket. After completing its orbit around the Earth, the spacecraft embarked on its journey to the moon on August 1.
The mission’s success holds immense significance for India. Not only will India become the fourth country to achieve soft-landing technology on the moon’s surface, joining the ranks of the US, China, and the former Soviet Union, but it will also mark the first expedition to the uncharted larger south pole of the Moon.