India has achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the first nation to effectively land a spacecraft on the southern pole of the moon. Chandrayaan-3 had the ambitious goal of being the pioneering spacecraft to make contact with a sector of the lunar expanse believed to harbour craters laden with water ice.
After embarking on its journey aboard a rocket from a spaceport in Andhra Pradesh, Chandrayaan-3 accomplished its touchdown on the lunar south pole a mere six weeks later. The triumph of this successful landing was met with jubilant cheers and applause emanating from the mission control centre situated at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
The presence of water ice on the moon holds immense significance, as it could potentially serve as a resource for fuel, oxygen generation, and even drinking water. This milestone mission is a crucial step towards establishing the groundwork for a future permanent lunar base.
This achievement comes in the wake of Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft's unfortunate crash on the moon's surface during its endeavour to outpace India in reaching the uncharted lunar south pole. India's prior attempts also faced obstacles due to the challenging terrain of the lunar south pole, marked by rugged landscapes that rendered landings a complex task.
Prime Minister Modi extended his heartfelt congratulations to both the citizens of India and the dedicated team of space scientists responsible for this remarkable achievement.
