Chandrayaan-3: India's Lunar Mission's Propulsion Module Successfully Returns to Earth's Orbit

India's space agency, Isro, has successfully returned a part of the rocket that carried its historic Moon mission back to Earth's orbit. The "propulsion module" detached from the Vikram lander after it reached the Moon and touched down on 23 August. Through a series of complex manoeuvres, the module re-entered Earth's orbit. This achievement is significant for Isro's plans for future manned missions. The module will continue to monitor Earth from its new position. India became the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, joining the US, the former Soviet Union, and China. The lander and rover spent two weeks gathering data before entering "sleep mode". The propulsion module, containing the SHAPE instrument, will carry out further experiments and provide additional information for future lunar missions. This experiment brings Isro closer to a return mission and addresses the issue of debris on the lunar surface.