ALBAWABA – India officially won the race to the Moon’s South Pole late on Wednesday, having executed the first-ever successful landing on the surface of the southernmost region of the Moon, news agencies reported.
After Russia failed to land its probe, Luna-25, just days ago, the Indian Lunar craft, Chandrayaan-3, successfully delivered the lander-vehicle, Vikram, to a safe spot close to the Moon’s South Pole.
People watch a live stream aired by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) website at the Nehru Science Centre in Mumbai on August 23, 2023, minutes before the successful lunar landing of Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the south pole of the Moon. (Photo by Punit PARANJPE / AFP)
The rover, Pragyan, will be released from the lander and is set to analyze the chemical makeup of the moon’s surface and search for water over the course of one lunar day, Bloomberg reported.
A lunar day is equivalent to 14 days on Earth.
Today, India is the second country, along with China, to have an operating rover on the moon.
This successful touchdown will lift India’s prestige in the global space race, after the country suffered a setback from a failed moon mission back in 2019.
People wave Indian flags as an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) rocket carrying the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft lifts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, an island off the coast of southern Andhra Pradesh state on July 14, 2023. (Photo by R.Satish BABU / AFP)
"This moment is unforgettable. It is phenomenal. This is a victory cry of a new India," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who waved the Indian flag as he watched the landing from South Africa where he is attending the BRICS in South Africa summit.
World reacts as India wins race to the Moon’s South Pole
More than 7 million people watched the Youtube live-stream, according to Reuters. Not including millions who watched it on public screens and other media around the world.
Students and staff members watch live telecast of lunar landing of Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the south pole of the Moon, at Osmania University in Hyderabad on August 23, 2023. (Photo by NOAH SEELAM / AFP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated India in a message to Modi published on the Kremlin website.
"This is a big step forward in space exploration and of course a testament to the impressive progress made by India in the field of science and technology," he said, as reported by Reuters.
The United States (US) space agency NASA, on the other hand, in a statement carried by Reuters Thursday, attempted to downplay India’s achievement.
"Congratulations to India on being the 4th country to successfully soft-land a spacecraft on the Moon," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said on X, formerly Twitter.
"We’re glad to be your partner on this mission," he said.
Indians in masses took to the streets to celebrate the historical event, waving the flag of India and holding up pictures of Modi.
People wave Indian national flags as they celebrate the successful lunar landing of Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the south pole of the Moon, in New Delhi on August 23, 2023. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP)
Chandrayaan means "moon vehicle" in Hindi and Sanskrit. It is the third of its name.
In 2019, ISRO's Chandrayaan-2 mission successfully deployed an orbiter around the moon but its lander crashed.
India is also planning to launch a mission in September to study the sun, S. Somanath said, chief of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), according to Reuters. A human space flight is also planned and, while no official date has been announced, preparations are likely to be ready by 2024.
