1. Chandrayaan-3 just 1,437 km away from moon
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on August 9 successfully carried out another orbit reduction manoeuvre of India’s third moon mission Chandrayaan-3. The manoeuvre was performed from ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) centre in Bengaluru. The spacecraft is now just 1,437 km away from the moon. The fifth and final orbit reduction manoeuvre will be carried out on August 16.
Meanwhile, talks are on regarding space science cooperation between India and Japan at national, space agency (ISRO & JAXA) and institute levels, with specific reference to the joint LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration) mission. This Indo-Japanese mission has been envisaged to explore the ‘dark side of the moon’, or the side that is perpetually facing away from Earth. The launch vehicle will be a Japanese rocket, the lander system will be developed by ISRO and the rover by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
