Propulsion Module (PM) of Chandrayaan-3 has once again entered the Moon’s Sphere of Influence (MSI), confirming that India’s lunar mission continues to deliver new scientific milestones even months after its historic soft landing. ISRO announced on Thursday that the module officially crossed into lunar-dominant gravity on November 4, with the first flyby recorded on November 6 at 7:23 UT.

Scientists revealed that the module’s second and fully visible lunar flyby occurred on November 11, passing just 4,537 km above the Moon’s surface at 23:18 UT. The event was successfully tracked by the Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) at Bengaluru. According to current trajectory calculations, the Propulsion Module is expected to exit the Moon’s Sphere of Influence again on November 14, completing another unplanned yet highly valuable lunar loop.

Originally designed to ferry the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover to lunar orbit, the Propulsion Module exceeded its primary mission life and was deliberately moved to a high Earth orbit in October 2023 through a series of Trans-Earth Injection manoeuvres. Since then, it has been orbiting Earth while gradually being pulled back by the combined gravitational influence of both Earth and Moon, demonstrating textbook precision in long-duration orbital mechanics.

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ISRO stated that the module’s performance remains completely normal, with no close approaches recorded with other lunar spacecraft. The unexpected flybys are providing critical data on disturbance torques, gravitational perturbations, and deep-space trajectory management—insights that will directly benefit future missions including Chandrayaan-4 and India’s upcoming human spaceflight programme.

As the Propulsion Module prepares to swing away from the Moon once more, ISRO continues to monitor its path through the ISTRAC network, turning what began as a lander-rover mission into an extended orbital laboratory that keeps adding to India’s growing legacy in lunar exploration.

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