On August 23, India achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first country to successfully land a spacecraft in the south pole region of the moon.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) executed the landing of the unmanned Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the lunar surface just after 8:30 a.m. EDT. The mission was broadcast live on YouTube and marked a significant achievement, especially considering that a Russian robotic spacecraft had recently lost control and crashed in a similar attempt.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was attending the BRICS Summit in South Africa, joined the ISRO team via video. As the Chandrayaan-3 safely landed on the moon, Modi proudly waved the Indian flag. The ISRO control center erupted in applause when the altitude meter reached 0.00, signifying a successful landing.
Modi briefly commended the space agency for this historic achievement and expressed anticipation for the next phase, which involves deploying the lunar rover. India now joins the ranks of the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China as the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the moon. Notably, India is the first to land in the moon’s south pole region.
The south pole region is of immense scientific interest because scientists believe it may contain frozen water, a resource that could potentially be used for drinking water, fuel, and oxygen production, enabling the sustenance of life on the moon.
Chandrayaan-3’s lander, named Vikram, carries a lunar rover designed to conduct a chemical analysis of the moon’s south pole surface. This analysis aims to confirm theories about the presence of frozen water and other elements.
While NASA’s Artemis program plans to return astronauts to the moon in 2025, India and Russia had been in a race to be the first to reach the moon’s south pole. However, Russia’s recent failed lunar mission has put them considerably behind in this competition.
The Indian space agency released images of the moon’s surface ahead of the mission, which will assist in identifying potential landing hazards. The challenges of lunar landings were highlighted by the failures of Japan, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates before Russia’s recent mishap.