India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft successfully landed near the moon's south pole earlier today, making India only the fourth nation to make a soft landing on the moon (the U.S., Soviet Union and China preceded it). It follows a humiliating "hard landing" (i.e., a crash) by imperialist Russia' Luna-25 spacecraft in the same region of the moon just days ago. Russia had been working for decades to land a spacecraft on the moon after a 47-year lapse. From the linked AP story:
"India on Wednesday made history as it became the first country in the world to land its spacecraft near the moon’s south pole, an uncharted territory that scientists believe could hold vital reserves of frozen water, and the fourth country to achieve a moon landing.
A lander with a rover inside touched down on the lunar surface at 6:04 local time, sparking cheers and applause among the space scientists watching in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru. After a failed attempt in 2019, India now joins the United States, the Soviet Union and China in reaching this milestone. [snip]
'India’s pursuit of space exploration reaches a remarkable milestone with the impending Chandrayaan-3 Mission, poised to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface. This achievement marks a significant step forward for Indian Science, Engineering, Technology, and Industry, symbolizing our nation’s progress in space exploration,' the Indian Space Research Organization said in a statement earlier on Wednesday.
It said that a successful Chandrayaan-3 landing would be monumental in fueling curiosity and sparking a passion for exploration among youth. 'It generates a profound sense of pride and unity as we collectively celebrate the prowess of Indian science and technology. It will contribute to fostering an environment of scientific inquiry and innovation,' the organization said.
Many countries and private companies are interested in the south pole region because permanently shadowed craters may hold frozen water that could help future astronaut missions.
The six-wheeled lander and rover module of Chandrayaan-3 is configured with payloads that would provide data to the scientific community on the properties of lunar soil and rocks, including chemical and elemental compositions." (our emphasis)
Let's hope the knowledge that will be obtained as a result of this significant scientific mission will be of benefit to the world's understanding of our moon.
(illustration: Artist's conception of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft and Vikram explorer. India Space Research Organization)
