India becomes first country to successfully land spacecraft on moon’s south pole
India has become the first country to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon’s south pole.
Chandrayaan-3 had aimed to become the first spacecraft to touch down in a region of the lunar surface thought to contain deep craters with water ice.
India moon landing – as it happened
It touched down six weeks after launching on board a rocket from a spaceport in Andhra Pradesh.
The successful landing was met with cheers and applause from mission control at Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined a conference call at the space centre to watch the landing, waving a small Indian flag as the spacecraft landed.
Making a triumphant speech to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), he said: “This is the heartbeat of 1.4 billion people. This is the new India, the new beginning, the new thinking of the new efforts.
“This is a feature of the shine of India – we made a promise and we made it true on the surface of the moon.
“This is an historic moment, and for every Indian, we are all very proud.”
Turning his attention to the wider world, he said: “India’s successful moon mission is not just India’s alone.
“We can all aspire for the moon and beyond.”
He said India will now look into a future human flight mission to the moon.
Thousands of people across India crowded in offices, shops, homes and restaurants eagerly waiting to witness the outcome of the mission.
What happens now?
Following the successful landing, Chandrayaan-3 will only remain functional for two weeks, during which it will run a series of experiments to determine the mineral composition of the moon’s surface.
Much of the work will be done by a rover, which will be deployed by the spacecraft’s two-metre-high lander.
Scientists have a particular interest in water ice, as it could be used for fuel, oxygen, and drinking water – with the mission laying the groundwork for a potential permanent base.
“They have stuck the landing, but the scientists in that control room won’t be truly happy until they get data from their spacecraft,” Tom Clarke, Sky News’ science and technology editor, said.
“Is everything working properly? Is it going to be able to achieve some of the objects it set out to do? We don’t have that confirmation yet, although that’s not to say that we doubt it will come.
“It is a huge achievement,” Clarke said.
India’s landing follows Russia‘s failed attempt, after their Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the moon.
Previous attempts by India have also failed, with the south pole’s rough terrain making landings difficult.