India has made history by successfully landing Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon's South Pole on August 23. This makes India the first country to land a spacecraft on the Moon's South Pole, which is thought to be potentially water-rich. It is also the fourth country to successfully land a spacecraft on the Moon's surface.
After the successful landing, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman S. Somanath, while addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was observing the landing virtually, said, "Sir, we have achieved a soft landing on the Moon. India is now on the Moon."
Thereafter, Modi also addressed the country, and said, "On this joyous occasion I would like to address people of the world. India's successful Moon mission, is not just India's alone."
"...this success belongs to all of humanity. It will help Moon missions by other countries in the future. I am confident that all of countries of the world, including those on the global south are capable of achieving of such feats. We can all aspire for the moon and beyond," Modi added.
The successful validation of ISRO's lunar landing capabilities can help to boost further such lunar missions under the Artemis Accords. India recently became a signatory to the Accords.
In the long run, the discoveries made by the lander, Vikram, and the rover, Pragyan, could also potentially play a key role in the long-term aim of establishing a base on the Moon, mining resources, and eventually sending a mission to Mars.
The lander and rover module of Chandrayaan 3, which separated from the propulsion segment of the spacecraft a few days ago, touched a pre-identified spot on the South Pole of the Moon at 6:03 PM.
The critical process of soft-landing included, what ISRO officials term as, "17 minutes of terror", wherein the lander had to fire its engines at precisely the right time and altitude and simultaneously scan the lunar surface for any obstacle before touching down.
This successful touchdown follows the failed attempt of Russia's Luna-25, which crashed onto the surface of the Moon on August 21 as it attempted to land on its South Pole. Earlier, Chandrayaan-2 also failed in 2019 when it attempted to soft land in the same area.
In the upcoming days, the lander and rover will conduct experiments on the surface of the Moon. The lander carries three payloads attached to it, which are capable of measuring thermal conductivity and temperature, assessing seismic activity around the landing site, and estimating plasma density. The rover has been equipped with payloads that can determine the elemental composition of the landing site.
Experts said that, after landing, Vikram and Pragyan can look for minerals of great importance that can give insights into the evolution of the Moon. It can also help in identifying minerals that India may like to extract in the future.
Another area of importance will be expanding on the discoveries of Chandrayaan-1, specifically with regards to water molecules on the South Pole, and seeing if water molecules can be split into hydrogen and oxygen. This would have immense ramification in future human habitation or fuel programmes.
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