The luminary figure at ISRO's helm, Chairman S Somanath, has boldly asserted that come August 23, even in the event of all sensors failing and two of its engines sputtering, the intrepid lunar lander of India's illustrious third lunar odyssey, Chandrayaan-3, dubbed Vikram, shall execute a graceful descent onto the Moon's enigmatic surface.

This significant revelation was proffered by the distinguished ISRO leader during an engaging discourse titled 'Chandrayaan-3: A Testament to India's Space Prowess,' thoughtfully orchestrated by the esteemed non-profit organization, Disha Bharat.

Somanath expounded that the very blueprint of the lunar lander has been meticulously crafted to endure the test of setbacks. As he was quoted by PTI, "Should all else falter—sensors lying dormant, mechanisms dormant—still shall Vikram unfurl its landing performance. Thus has its design been orchestrated, contingent upon the harmonious functioning of its propulsive mechanisms."

In a poignant tale of cosmic pursuit, Chandrayaan-3 embarked on its celestial voyage on the fourteenth of July, seamlessly slipping into lunar orbit on the fifth of August. Poised for its forthcoming rendezvous with the Moon on the twenty-third of August, a trinity of de-orbiting maneuvers—calculated endeavors to intimate proximity—stand as harbingers of Vikram's impending lunar embrace. August 9, August 14, and August 16 are earmarked for these meticulously orchestrated dances, gradually attenuating the lunar orbit to a svelte 100 km by 100 km, as eloquently articulated by Somanath.

Elucidating the technical intricacies, Somanath explicated that a choreographed pas de deux, namely the separation of the lander propulsion module, awaits Vikram shortly after its deboosting—a strategic application of brakes to the craft's momentum. This intricate performance, in turn, precedes Vikram's grand finale: a gentle touchdown on the lunar canvas on August 23. "We've also ensured that even if a duo of engines in Vikram remain reticent, it shall not deter its descent this time either," affirmed the erudite ISRO chief. "Thus, the architectural symphony has been orchestrated to navigate myriad pitfalls, contingent upon the algorithms executing their choreography flawlessly," he appended.

In the course of his address, Somanath espoused that the paramount challenge, as he perceives it, resides in the metamorphosis of a horizontal 'Vikram' into a vertical pose on the lunar tapestry. Upon parting ways with its orbiter companion, Vikram's terrestrial voyage shall first assume a lateral trajectory. A sequence of meticulously orchestrated movements shall guide its transformation into a poised vertical posture, a prerequisite for a secure lunar alighting. This intricate ballet, however, is rife with significance, evoking memories of ISRO's previous endeavor that fell short of achieving a gentle lunar touchdown.

"The art of transitioning from the horizontal to the vertical realm represents the crux of our endeavor. It was at this juncture that our endeavors faced turbulence during the preceding mission," Somanath reminisced, his words an ode to the relentless spirit of cosmic exploration.

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