Sriharikota, July 31: Chandrayaan-2, India's second lunar mission, is now three steps closer to the Moon after the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully raised the spacecraft’s orbit around the Earth for the third time on July 29. The third earth bound orbit raising maneuver was  performed successfully at 3.12 pm on Monday, ISRO said. In the latest activity, the orbit of the Chandrayaan-2 was raised to 276 x 71,792 km by firing the onboard motors for 989 seconds. The fourth orbit raising manoeuvre is scheduled between 2 to 3 pm on August 2. The second earth bound orbit raising maneuver for Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft was performed on July 26 while the first took place on July 24. Chandrayaan 2 Explained! When Will ISRO's GSLV-Mk III Reach Moon And What Will Happen After That?

The Chandrayaan 2 spacecraft comprises three segments - the Orbiter (weighing 2,379 kg, eight payloads), the lander (Vikram), which is 1,471 kg with four payloads and rover (Pragyan) which is 27 kg with two payloads. The trans-lunar insertion of Chandrayaan-2, which will send it to the moon, is scheduled on August 14, ISRO said. After that, the Chandrayaan-2 is scheduled to reach moon by August 20 and the lander (Vikram) will land on the Earth's sole satellite on September 7. Chandrayaan-2: ISRO Releasing Astonishing Space Images of Earth? Here's a Fact Check.

Watch Video: ISRO's Moon Mission Path Explained

The ISRO informed that spacecraft parameters of Chandrayaan-2, aimed at landing a rover on the unchartered Lunar South Pole, are “normal”.  In what is believed to be a giant leap for India's ambitious low-cost space programme, ISRO’s most powerful three-stage rocket GSLV-MkIII-M1 had launched the spacecraft into the Earth’s orbit on July 22 from the spaceport in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 31, 2019 01:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).