As India becomes the fourth country to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Wednesday shared new images on X (formerly Twitter) documenting the Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander touching down on the lunar surface.The first set of four images shared by the ISRO were taken as the lander approached the surface, with the agency later sharing an image from the lander on the surface.Many suspect the rocks at the moon’s poles may hold frozen water that could be used to support a permanent human settlement. The Chandrayaan-3 is also equipped with a small rover that will explore the area until it runs out of batteries; the ISRO does not expect it to last through the lunar’s two-week night.The space agency on Tuesday released images of the far side of the moon while it searched for a suitable landing spot.The Chandrayaan-3 was India’s second recent attempt to land on the moon. Its first, the Chandrayaan-2, crashed into the lunar surface in September 2019 due to a software glitch. The Chandrayaan-1 also crashed into the lunar surface but that was intentional.Russia’s space agency Roscosmos congratulated India on the successful moon landing.On Friday, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will attempt to become the fifth nation to land a spacecraft on the moon, though the landing spot for that craft will be in a crater next to the equator on the near side of the moon.
Three other countries have successfully landed spacecraft on the moon: Russia, the United States and China. However, recent landmark accomplishment also marks India as the first country to land a spacecraft on the moon’s south pole, an area that has become increasingly interesting for scientists.
As India becomes the fourth country to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Wednesday shared new images on X (formerly Twitter) documenting the Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander touching down on the lunar surface.
The first set of four images shared by the ISRO were taken as the lander approached the surface, with the agency later sharing an image from the lander on the surface.
Chandrayaan-3 Lander on the lunar surface after landing on the Moon's South Pole, August 23, 2023, provided by the Indian Space Research Organization
"The communication link is established between the Ch-3 Lander and MOX-ISTRAC, Bengaluru," ISRO said in a post on X. "Chandrayaan-3 chose a relatively flat region on the lunar surface," the agency added in a later post.
Many suspect the rocks at the moon’s poles may hold frozen water that could be used to support a permanent human settlement. The Chandrayaan-3 is also equipped with a small rover that will explore the area until it runs out of batteries; the ISRO does not expect it to last through the lunar’s two-week night.
The space agency on Tuesday released images of the far side of the moon while it searched for a suitable landing spot.
The Chandrayaan-3 was India’s second recent attempt to land on the moon. Its first, the Chandrayaan-2, crashed into the lunar surface in September 2019 due to a software glitch. The Chandrayaan-1 also crashed into the lunar surface but that was intentional.
Earlier this week, Russia attempted to land its Luna-25 ship near the south pole of the moon; however, the craft unexpectedly crashed. In May, a private Japanese company also accidentally crashed a lunar lander due to a software glitch.
Russia intends to launch a new spate of lunar missions in the near-future, with officials noting the Luna-25 crash provided “invaluable experience.”
Russia’s space agency Roscosmos congratulated India on the successful moon landing.
"The Roscosmos State Corporation congratulates Indian colleagues on the successful moon landing of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft. Exploration of the moon is important for all mankind, in the future it may become a platform for deep space exploration," the agency said in a statement.
On Friday, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will attempt to become the fifth nation to land a spacecraft on the moon, though the landing spot for that craft will be in a crater next to the equator on the near side of the moon.
Newsfeed
0
Access to the chat has been blocked for violating the rules .
You will be able to participate again through:∞.
If you do not agree with the blocking, please use the feedback form
The discussion is closed. You can participate in the discussion within 24 hours after the publication of the article.
