On December 30, astronomer Jonathan McDowell shared that the Chandrayaan-3 propulsion module’s orbit changed drastically after a close encounter with the moon in November 2025. Initially left in a highly elliptical orbit ranging from 125,000 km to 305,000 km from Earth, the module’s path expanded to between 365,000 km and up to 983,000 km, with a tilt of 22 degrees. This shift happened because the moon’s gravity pulled the module during two close flybys on November 6 and 11, affecting its speed and orbit shape. ISRO confirmed the module entered the moon’s sphere of influence from November 4 to 14 and closely monitored the changes using India’s Deep Space Network and collaborations with NASA and others. According to ISRO, the closest distance to the moon was about 3,740 km on November 6, and 4,537 km on November 11. After these passes, the module’s orbit no longer came near 125,000 km from Earth but stayed much farther out, moving in a larger, tilted ellipse. Astronomer McDowell called this a “tussle with the moon” showing the chaos caused by the moon’s gravity in space. He explained that such gravity effects make predicting orbits near the moon complex, known as the three-body problem. This phenomenon means the Earth, moon, and object all pull on each other, leading to unpredictable orbital changes. ISRO reported no problems during this maneuver and gained useful insights about managing spacecraft in complex orbits. The tracking team, including amateur astronomers and experts using special software, identified the module after the orbit change when it was mistaken for an asteroid. The Chandrayaan-3 mission’s lander and rover successfully reached the moon in August 2023, while the propulsion module continues its fascinating dance governed by Earth and moon’s gravity.