Chandrayaan-3 Successfully Enters Moon's Orbit: ISRO

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday confirmed that the Indian spacecraft has successfully entered into Moon's orbit and this creates a new chapter in India's space odyssey.

Earlier on Friday, the ISRO informed that the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft has covered about two-thirds of the distance to the Moon since its launch on July 14.

Taking to Twitter, ISRO said that the Lunar Orbit Injection is set for around 7 pm on August 5. Over five moves in the three weeks since, ISRO has been lifting the spacecraft into orbits farther and farther away from Earth.

Earlier, on August 1, ISRO reported that the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft had completed its orbits around the Earth and was en route to the Moon.

"Chandrayaan-3 completes its orbits around the Earth and heads towards the Moon. A successful perigee-firing performed at ISTRAC, ISRO has injected the spacecraft into the translunar orbit," ISRO tweeted.

The maneuver will be performed when Chandrayaan-3 is at the closest point to the Moon (perilune), ISRO said. The space agency earlier said that the health of India's third lunar mission is normal and a soft landing on the lunar surface would be attempted on August 23.