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Vikram pulls off first de-orbiting move

Vikram is expected to touch down on the lunar surface at 1:55 am on September 7. Its orbit span is 104 km x 128 km.

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The lander of Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft successfully completed its first de-orbiting manoeuvre on Tuesday, a day after separating from the main craft, beginning its journey towards the south pole of the moon.

The Vikram lander used the craft's onboard propulsion system to pull out of the orbit in a move that lasted four seconds, beginning as scheduled around 8:50 am.

Vikram is expected to touch down on the lunar surface at 1:55 am on September 7. Its orbit span is 104 km x 128 km.

Chandrayaan-2's orbiter continues to circle the moon in its existing orbit.

The next de-orbiting manoeuvre is scheduled for Wednesday, between 3:30 am and 4:30 am. Former NASA astronaut Donald A Thomas had earlier said that everyone at the US space agency and around the world would be watching India's ambitious lunar landing.

"Chandrayaan-2 will be the first spacecraft to land near the south pole of the moon. And this is where NASA hopes to land an astronaut in about five years from now. Not just NASA, but the whole world would be interested in knowing about the moon and the universe by following Chandrayaan-2," he had said.

The remarks came while Thomas was speaking to reporters after an event at Park College of Engineering and Technology near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.

Chandrayaan-2 will be the first Indian expedition to attempt a soft landing on the lunar surface.

This mission will make India only the fourth country after the US, Russia and China to carry out a soft landing on the moon.

The mission took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on July 22.

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