Chandrayaan-3 mission: The journey to the Moon so far
Bengaluru (PTI): ISRO's ambitious Chandrayaan-3 mission has been on a journey to the Moon since its launch on July 14.
According to the space agency, Chandrayaan 3's lander, with a rover accommodated inside it, is expected to touch down on the surface of the Moon around 6.04 pm on August 23.
Here is a glimpse of the journey of India's third lunar exploration venture has taken so far:
July 14: LVM3 M4 vehicle successfully launches Chandrayaan-3 into orbit from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. Chandrayaan-3 starts its journey into precise orbit.
July 15: First orbit-raising manoeuvre (Earthbound firing-1) successfully performed from ISTRAC/ISRO, Bengaluru. The spacecraft is in 41762 km x 173 km orbit.
July 17: Second orbit-raising manoeuvre performed. Spacecraft is in 41603 km x 226 km orbit.
July 22: Another orbit-raising manoeuvre completed using earth-bound perigee firing.
July 25: ISRO performs one more orbit-raising manoeuvre. Spacecraft is in 71351 km x 233 km orbit.
August 1: ISRO performs Translunar Injection successfully and inserts the spacecraft into translunar orbit. Orbit achieved is 288 km x 369328 km.
August 5: Lunar-Orbit Insertion of Chandrayaan-3 performed successfully. Orbit achieved is 164 km x 18074 km, as intended.
August 6: ISRO performs second Lunar Bound Phase (LBN). With this, the spacecraft is in a 170 km x 4313 km orbit around the Moon. The space agency releases video of the Moon as viewed by Chandrayaan-3 during lunar orbit insertion.
August 9: Chandrayaan-3's orbit is reduced to 174 km x 1437 km after a manoeuvre is performed.
August 14: Mission is in orbit circularisation phase after another manoeuvre. The spacecraft is in 151 km x 179 km orbit.
August 16: Spacecraft brought down to an orbit of 153 km x 163 km after firing is completed.
August 17: Lander module is successfully separated from the propulsion module.
August 19: ISRO performs de-boosting of the lander module to reduce its orbit. The lander module is in 113 km x 157 km orbit around the Moon.
August 20: One more de-boosting or orbit reduction manoeuvre on the lander module is performed. The lander module is in 25 km x 134 km orbit.
August 21: Chandrayaan-2 orbiter formally welcomes Chandrayaan-3 lander module saying Welcome, buddy!'. Two-way communication between the two is established. Mission Operations Complex (MOX) now has more ways to communicate with the lander module.
August 22: ISRO releases images of the Moon captured by the Lander Position Detection Camera (LPDC) of the Chandrayaan-3 mission from an altitude of about 70 km. Systems are undergoing regular checks. Smooth sailing is continuing.
August 23: Safe and soft landing of Chandrayaan-3's lander module on the southern pole of lunar surface expected at 6.04 pm.
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Death toll from Israeli strikes in northeast Lebanon rises from 8 to 24, Lebanese news agency says
Deir al-Balah, Nov 1: Israeli airstrikes on Friday killed at least 24 people in northeastern Lebanon, the country's news agency said, raising the death toll from eight there.
It was the latest deadly toll in the area since the conflict between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah escalated last month.
Israel's military has said that its operation in Lebanon is targeting Hezbollah's military infrastructure.
Lebanon's state National news Agency reported four airstrikes in different villages across country's northeast, saying rescuers were still searching for survivors in Younine, a town in the Bekaa Valley, from the rubble of a targeted house.
Hussein Haj Hassan, a Lebanese lawmaker representing the region in Baalbek-Hermel region, said that 60,000 people have already fled their homes in the area due to Israeli bombardment.
