This archive report was first published on 20 August 2019.
On August 20, 2019, India's Chandrayaan 2 spacecraft successfully completed its Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) as planned, marking a significant milestone in its mission to explore the Moon.
According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the insertion was completed successfully at 0902 hours IST (0332 GMT) using the onboard propulsion system, with a manoeuvre duration of 1738 seconds.
India's ambitious mission aims to make the country the fourth nation to land a spacecraft on the Moon, following in the footsteps of Russia, the United States, and China.
The Chandrayaan 2 spacecraft is expected to land on the lunar South Pole on September 7, if the rest of the mission goes according to plan.
ISRO's mission control team had to carefully navigate the spacecraft to avoid a potentially disastrous outcome, as approaching the Moon at either too high or too low a velocity could have resulted in the spacecraft being lost in space or crashing into the Moon's surface.
Launched from India's spaceport at Sriharikota in southern Andhra Pradesh state on July 22, the Chandrayaan 2 mission is expected to provide valuable insights into the origin and evolution of the Moon through detailed topographical studies, mineralogical analyses, and other experiments.
The mission's price tag of approximately $140 million is significantly lower compared to similar operations by other countries.
