Landing of Chandrayaan-3

Landing of Chandrayaan-3 — ISRO’s Chandrayaan programme marked a defining chapter in Indian space history when its third lunar mission touched down on the Moon. Vikram was the lander; Pragyan, the rover. On August 23, 2023, the two of them delivered a result that had the entire country watching.

About Chandrayaan-3

Chandrayaan-3 is the third lunar exploration mission under the Chandrayaan programme, with the Vikram lander as its primary payload. The spacecraft lifted off via the LVM3 M4 vehicle on July 14, 2023, at 14:35 IST from Satish Dhawan Space Centre. From launch day, all systems checked out cleanly.

On August 5, 2023, Chandrayaan-3 entered lunar orbit at 164 km by 18,074 km. The following day, a second orbit-lowering manoeuvre (LBN#2) refined that to 170 km by 4,313 km, steadily bringing Vikram closer to its target.

On August 23, 2023, both the Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover successfully touched down near the lunar south pole area — a historic first for India. The powered descent began at around 17:45 IST, and landing was confirmed at 18:04 IST.

Launch of Chandrayaan-3

Chandrayaan-3 lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre Second Launch Pad in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh on July 14, 2023, at 14:35 IST. On August 5, 2023, the spacecraft reached lunar orbit. The south pole landing on August 23, 2023 was the result of what ISRO had been quietly perfecting: a measured launch and a sequence of precise orbital corrections.

The July window was deliberate. According to ISRO’s calculations, the Earth–Moon distance was at its shortest that month, reducing travel time and fuel requirements. On August 17, 2023, the Vikram Lander separated from the propulsion module to begin its descent phase independently. From that point, it was on its own.

The live coverage was broadcast on the ISRO website, ISRO’s official YouTube channel, ISRO’s Facebook page, and DD National TV channel. Viewership across all platforms was enormous.

The Landing of Chandrayaan-3

India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission reached its final phase on August 23, 2023, touching down on the Moon’s surface at approximately 18:04 IST. ISRO confirmed the mission proceeded as planned throughout the descent, with live transmission beginning at 5:20 pm IST.

India became the only nation to achieve a soft landing near the Moon’s south pole. Almost immediately after touchdown, the Pragyan rover — a compact vehicle built to traverse the lunar surface — rolled out from the Vikram Lander and began its explorations. In most Indian households that evening, this was the moment that crossed from news into something else entirely.

Chandrayaan-2 had attempted the same south pole landing in 2019 but lost contact after impacting the surface. Chandrayaan-1 returned partial results. Chandrayaan-3 carried that unfinished work forward and completed it.

Scientists Working on Chandrayaan-3

• ISRO Chairperson: S. Somanath
• Associate Mission Director: G. Narayanan
• Mission Director: S. Mohanakumar
• Vehicle Director: Biju C Thomas
• Project Director: P Veeramuthuvel

Conclusion

Chandrayaan-3’s landing on August 23, 2023, was a genuine turning point: not just for Indian space research, but for what the Moon’s south pole now represents scientifically. The ISRO team earned that celebration. Research Experts extends warm congratulations to everyone who made this mission happen.