Chandrayaan-3 achieves milestone after Vikram Lander successfully separates from propulsion module

The 'Vikram' lander module of India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft successfully split from the propulsion module on Thursday, marking another major victory in the mission's journey for the moon.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission's lander bears Vikram Sarabhai's name. Vikram Sarabhai, who lived from 1939 to 1971, is widely regarded as the founder of India's space programme.

A week before its planned landing on the south pole of the moon on August 23, the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft completed its penultimate lunar-bound orbit lowering manoeuvre on August 17.

A GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle was used for the launch of the spacecraft that was placed in the lunar orbit on August 5 and since then it has been through a series of orbital manoeuvres been lowered closer to the moon’s surface.

It has been a month and two days since the Indian Space Research Organisation launched the Chandrayaan-3 mission on July 14. The spacecraft was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota.

ISRO is bidding to make a successful soft landing on the moon, which will make India the fourth country in the world to achieve the feat after the United States, Russia and China.

Chandrayaan-3 components include various electronic and mechanical subsystems intended to ensure a safe and soft landing such as navigation sensors, propulsion systems, guidance and control, among others.