Chandrayaan-2 reaches nearer to moon with orbit change

Chennai, Aug. 30 (IANS): The Indian space agency on Friday evening successfully completed the fourth lunar-bound orbit change for the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said that the spacecraft's manoeuvre began at 6.18 p.m., using its onboard propulsion system for 1,155 seconds. The orbit achieved is 124 km x 164 km. All spacecraft parameters are normal. The next lunar-bound orbit manoeuvre is scheduled on September 1, between 6 to 7 p.m. On July 22, the Rs 978 crore Chandrayaan-2 was launched into the space by India's heavy lift rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Mark III (GSLV Mk III) in text book style. The spacecraft comprises three segments - the Orbiter (weighing 2,379 kg, eight payloads), the lander 'Vikram' (1,471 kg, four payloads) and rover 'Pragyan' (27 kg, two payloads).