Vikram fires all four 800-N throttleable engines simultaneously at 30 km altitude above the lunar south pole. The spacecraft travels at 1,680 m/s — nearly supersonic.

Vikram performs a critical attitude reorientation — flipping from horizontal to near-vertical at 7.4 km altitude, slowing rapidly as engines fight lunar gravity.

At 800 m altitude, Vikram's LHDAC scans the terrain. The AI autonomously selects the safest landing spot. Two engines shut down; two continue for fine control.

Vikram hovers at 150 m, scanning with its Laser Doppler Velocimeter. The descent is almost entirely vertical — engine throttle modulated to achieve near-zero velocity at the surface.

Vikram touches down softly at 70°S — a region no spacecraft has ever reached. All four legs absorb the impact. India becomes the first nation to land on the Moon's south pole.