India has made history with its Chandrayaan-3 mission by becoming the first country to land on the Moon's south pole, a region never touched by any other country before. This makes India part of an exclusive group, joining the US, Soviet Union, and China in achieving a soft landing on the Moon.
The Vikram lander successfully touched down on the Moon at 18:04 local time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while attending the BRICS summit in South Africa, expressed joy over the achievement, saying, "India is now on the Moon." The success of this mission is being celebrated nationwide, and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) chief Sreedhara Panicker Somanath credited the accomplishment to a generation of ISRO scientists.
Chandrayaan-3’s success is particularly significant because just days earlier, Russia’s Luna-25 spacecraft had crashed while attempting a similar landing. The South Pole’s surface is tricky with many craters and boulders, making this achievement even more remarkable.
The Vikram lander carried the Pragyaan rover, which will soon begin its exploration of the Moon’s surface. The rover is equipped to gather vital data, including photos of the surface and potential water ice that could support future human missions.
India's Moon mission is not just about exploration but also has a scientific focus. One goal is to search for water ice that could potentially be used for future human habitation or as fuel for spacecraft. Additionally, the rover will study the Moon's surface, atmosphere, and tectonic activity.
This historic landing follows previous Chandrayaan missions, with Chandrayaan-1 discovering water molecules on the Moon. Although Chandrayaan-2 failed in its soft-landing attempt, its orbiter still provides valuable data. With Chandrayaan-3, India continues to make strides in lunar exploration, joining a growing list of countries interested in the Moon.