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India’s Chandrayaan-3 to land on moon today; how to watch it live

The spacecraft is headed to the moon’s south pole and is expected to make a soft landing on the lunar surface on August 23

Published: Tue 22 Aug 2023, 2:17 PM

Updated: Wed 23 Aug 2023, 12:55 PM

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Photo: AP

Photo: AP

The Indian space agency, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), announced on Tuesday that Chandrayaan-3, India’s third moon mission, is on schedule and the systems are “undergoing regular checks”.

The spacecraft is headed to the moon’s south pole and is expected to make a soft landing on the lunar surface on August 23. The event will be showcased on a live telecast.

Date and time of Chandrayaan-3’s landing

According to ISRO, Chandrayaan-3 is scheduled to land on the moon on August 23 at around 6.04pm local time (4.34pm UAE time).

The space agency, in a post shared on August 20, said, “The second and final de-boosting operation has successfully reduced the LM orbit to 25 km x 134 km. The module would undergo internal checks and await the sun-rise at the designated landing site."

“The powered descent is expected to commence on August 23, 2023, around 5:45pm (India local time),” ISRO added.

When and where to watch Chandrayaan-3 landing live?

The much-anticipated landing of Chandrayaan-3 can be watched live on ISRO’s website, official YouTube channel, and Facebook page. It will stream from 5:20pm local time (3.50 pm UAE time).

India is aiming to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface and become the fourth country to do so after the US, Russia, and China.

“The soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 is a monumental moment that not only fuels curiosity but also sparks a passion for exploration within the minds of our youth. It generates a profound sense of pride and unity as we collectively celebrate the prowess of Indian science and technology. It will contribute to fostering an environment of scientific inquiry and innovation,” ISRO said in a statement on August 20.

Race to the moon

Space agencies across the globe are locked in a race to the moon’s south pole, which is believed to have the presence of frozen water. India will be the fourth country to attempt a soft landing on the moon this year.

The UAE attempted to send its Rashid Rover with Japanese startup ispace’s Hakuto-R Mission 1 lander for the Arab world’s first lunar mission. However, the private company in April, lost connection with the lander which crashed due to an altitude miscalculation.

Russia too aimed to soft-land on the moon’s south pole but its Lunar-25 spacecraft crashed on the lunar surface this month.

The Russian space agency, Roskosmos, said that it lost contact with the craft and that “the apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon."

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