Chandrayaan-3 takes a stunning Moon shot (WATCH)

A day after successfully manoeuvring into the Moon's orbit during India's third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) unveiled the initial images of the lunar surface taken by Chandrayaan-3. Chandrayaan-3 achieved lunar orbit on Saturday after a meticulous three-week journey spanning over 300,000 km through deep space. Following a meticulously plotted trajectory by ISRO, the spacecraft's first communication from the Moon's orbit was a message stating, "I am feeling lunar gravity," as tweeted by the space agency.

As Sunday marked the completion of 23 days since its launch on July 14 via the LVM-3, Chandrayaan-3's 40-day expedition was underway.

Over the upcoming 17 days, the probe's velocity will gradually decrease to transition it to a lower orbit, approximately 100 km above the Moon's surface. Subsequently, the propulsion module will detach from the lander while in orbit. This will be followed by a series of intricate braking manoeuvres designed to facilitate a gentle landing in the South Polar region of the Moon on August 23, as outlined by the ISRO.

The ISRO confirmed that all systems on Chandrayaan-3 were operating normally and the next scheduled lunar-bound orbit adjustment was planned for the ensuing Sunday night. Continuous monitoring of the spacecraft's health is being conducted from the MOX at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking, and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru.

After the separation of the lander and rover from Chandrayaan-3, the remaining segment of the space probe will orbit the satellite while transmitting data from a distinctive payload with significant implications. This payload, named SHAPE (Spectro-polarimetry of HAbitable Planet Earth), will focus on observing Earth to discern characteristics of its atmosphere from a space vantage point. Devised by scientists at the Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad and UR Rao Satellite Centre, the payload is poised to facilitate the identification of Earth-like exoplanets, potentially holding signs of habitability.

Even though more than 7,000 exoplanets are presently known, numerous upcoming space missions are centred on discovering more of these planets, with a special emphasis on those suitable for habitation. ISRO also harbours plans for a collaborative mission with the UK to contribute to this ongoing exploration.