Chandrayaan-3 Vikram Lander Will Attempt Soft Landing On Moon Today: How To Watch ISRO Event Live?

Chandrayaan-3 will attempt to land on the lunar surface today. The Vikram Lander, housing the Pragyan Rover had separated from the main propulsion vehicle earlier this week.

The Chandrayaan-3's lander module is gradually decreasing its altitude and velocity with respect to the Moon. It will try to position itself over an optimum landing zone and attempt to gradually descend on the lunar surface this evening. Here's how our readers can watch the event unfold live.

Chandrayaan-3 Vikram Lander Spotting Landing Site On Moon's South Pole

The Indian Space Research Organization, popularly known as ISRO, launched the Chandrayaan-3 mission on the Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM-3), housing the Vikram Lander and the Pragyan Rover on July 14, 2023. After a journey that spanned almost 40 days, the lander detached from the main rocket this week.

The Vikram lander is equipped with an array of sophisticated cameras and multiple guidance systems that allow it to scout for a good landing site and set itself down gently. After the Russian Luna-25 tragically crashed on the Moon's surface, India's Chandrayaan-3 is now the only hope not just for Indians but also for the entire world.

So far, the Chandrayaan-3 mission has proceeded without any glitches. The onboard propulsion and navigation systems placed the primary rocket and the subsequent stages in desired orbits and ensured the entire payload was securely placed in the lunar orbit.

Vikram Lander has started de-boosting, which essentially means it is safely closing in on the Moon. All the systems have performed well so far. However, the most critical stage will begin today, when the Chandrayaan-3 Vikram Lander will attempt to gently land on the Moon, a feat in which the Chandrayaan-2 and the Luna-25 failed.

Watch Chandrayaan-3 Vikram Lander Attempt Landing On The Moon Live

India would be the fourth nation to successfully land on the Moon. ISRO has confirmed the Chandrayaan-3 mission is right on schedule and it will be attempting to land as planned.

ISRO is allowing Indians and the world to watch the event live, which will begin today, August 23, 2023, at 5:20 PM IST. If everything proceeds according to plan, the Chandrayaan-3 Vikram Lander will land on the lunar surface at 6:04 PM IST.

ISRO will livestream the last stage of the Chandrayaan-3 mission on multiple social media channels. The live stream will be available on ISRO's official website, YouTube channel, and Facebook page. Our readers can click on the Play button above to be notified about the event and watch it live.

[Update] The Chandrayaan-3 Vikram Lander has successfully landed on the Moon's south pole. Although the most difficult stage of the mission is now successfully completed, the Vikram lander will now have to survive for 14 Earth days on the Moon, collect information, and relay it back to Earth. Meanwhile, the orbiting propulsion module will continue its mission for a long time.