NEW DELHI — A pivotal stage in India's quest to explore the Moon has been reached with the preparation of the Lander Module (LM), including the lander "Vikram" and rover "Pragyan," for its descent to the Lunar south pole. The historic soft landing is planned for August 23, marking a significant advancement in India's ambitious space program.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that the Lander Module has successfully separated from the Propulsion Module (PM). This marks the initiation of a series of complex maneuvers that will bring the lander and its companion rover closer to the Moon's surface.

The Lander Module is scheduled to descend to a slightly lower orbit, following a planned deboosting process set to take place around 1600 Hrs. IST tomorrow. This deboosting, or slowing down, is an essential step to position the module in its specific orbit to approach the Moon.

Lander Module Separation