The moon-bound Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft underwent a crucial orbit manoeuvre at 9:02 a.m. on August 20 morning, announced the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was carried out using the onboard propulsion system and the spacecraft is now at 114 km x 18072 km orbit.
The move, called the Lunar Orbit Insertion, makes the spacecraft capture the lunar orbit and start going around the Moon.
To enter the final orbit over the lunar poles, Chandrayaan-2 will undergo more such orbit maneuvers.
The lander Vikram will then separate from the Orbiter and perform complex braking maneuvers. It is expected to soft-land on the South Pole of the moon on September 7.
In the release, ISRO added that the health of the spacecraft is being continuously monitored from the Mission Operations Complex at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network in Bengaluru with support from Indian Deep Space Network antennas near Bengaluru and that all the systems are healthy.
The next Lunar bound orbit maneuver is scheduled for August 21 between 12: 30 p.m. and 01:30 p.m