India achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the fourth country to successfully land on the moon with its Chandrayaan-3 mission, as the lunar craft gently touched down on the surface this Wednesday.
Referred to as ‘Chandrayaan’ in Hindi and Sanskrit, meaning ‘moon vehicle,’ the spacecraft achieved this significant milestone by landing on the unexplored South Pole region, outpacing even the pioneering efforts of the US, China, and Russia.
The South Pole is an uncharted territory that scientists believe could hold vital reserves of frozen water and precious elements.
A lander with a rover tucked inside touched down at 8:34am ET, sparking cheers and applause among the space scientists watching in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru.
Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) successful mission marks its emergence as a space power as the government looks to spur investment in private space launches and related satellite-based businesses.
Chandrayaan-3 is expected to remain functional for two weeks, running a series of experiments, including a spectrometer analysis of the mineral composition of the lunar surface to determine if there is water ice.
‘This achievement marks a significant step forward for Indian Science, Engineering, Technology, and Industry, symbolizing our nation´s progress in space exploration.’
India had attempted to land on the moon four years ago with its Chandrayaan 2 lander.
But the spacecraft crashed on the lunar surface, destroying both the lander and rover due to a software glitch.
India’s successful second attempt came less than a week after Russia’s Luna-25 mission failed to touch down on the South Pole.
The Luna-25 veered into an erratic orbit before eventually colliding.
Initiating its descent at 8:30 am ET, the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft eased off its thrusters to achieve a gentle landing.
With only two engines operational, the craft steadily approached the surface.
