India has become the fourth country to land on the moon after its Chandrayaan-3 touched the lunar surface on Wednesday.
The ship, which means “lunar vehicle” in Hindi and Sanskrit, landed at the South Pole, beating the US, China and Russia in the uncharted region.
The South Pole is an uncharted territory that scientists believe may harbor vital reserves of frozen water and precious elements.
A lander carrying a rover touched down at 8:34 a.m. ET, prompting cheers and applause from space scientists watching in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru.
The successful landing of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) marks its rise to space power as the government looks to boost investment in private space launches and related satellite-based companies.
Chandrayaan-3 is expected to remain operational for two weeks, conducting a series of experiments including a spectrometer analysis of the lunar surface mineral composition to determine the presence of water ice.
India has become the fourth country to land on the moon after its Chandrayaan-3 landed softly on the lunar surface days after a similar Russian lander crashed
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi watched the epic mission and waved the country’s flag as the landing was confirmed
“India’s pursuit of space exploration reaches a notable milestone with the upcoming Chandrayaan-3 mission, which is poised to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface,” IRSO said in a statement.
“This achievement represents a significant advance for Indian science, engineering, technology and industry and symbolizes our country’s progress in space exploration.”
Four years ago, India tried to land on the moon with its lander Chandrayaan 2.
However, the spacecraft crashed on the lunar surface, destroying both the lander and the rover.
India’s successful second attempt came less than a week after Russia’s Luna 25 mission failed to land at the South Pole.
The Luna-25 spun into an uncontrolled orbit and crashed.
The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft lifted into normal flight at 8:30 a.m. ET, slowing its engines for a smooth landing.
As the ship neared the surface, only two engines fired.
An animation of Chandrayaan-3 was shown in the control room, allowing the team to follow the mission in real time.
Carla Filotico, partner and chief executive of consultancy SpaceTec Partners, said: “A landing on the South Pole (of the moon) would actually allow India to explore whether there is water ice on the moon.”
“And that’s very important for cumulative data and scientific understanding of the geology of the moon.”
With a push from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is launching space rockets and wants to open the sector to foreign investment as it aims to quintuple its share of the global rocket launch market within the next decade.
For India, the successful landing marks its rise as a space power as the government looks to boost investment in private space launches and related satellite-based businesses
India celebrated the successful mission while watching from land. Crowds erupted the moment it was announced that the mission had been successful
The rocket carrying the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft was launched on July 14 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, an island off the coast of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh
A few hours before the scheduled landing, the mood in the spacecraft’s command center on the outskirts of Bengaluru was high as ISRO officials and scientists monitored the lander via giant screens.
The anticipation of the landing was great and Indian newspapers and news channels headlined the countdown to the landing.
Children gathered on the banks of the Ganges, considered sacred by Hindus, to pray for a safe landing, and mosques said prayers in several places.
At a Sikh temple known as Gurduwara in the capital New Delhi, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri also said prayers for Chandrayaan.
“India is making not only economic but also scientific and technological advances,” Puri told reporters.
Rough terrain makes landing at the South Pole difficult, and a first-time landing is historic.
The region’s ice could provide fuel, oxygen and drinking water for future missions.