In an unprecedented feat in space exploration history, India has just become the first nation to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon's elusive south pole.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieved this remarkable milestone with their mission, Chandrayaan-3, whose objective was to achieve the historic milestone of being the first spacecraft to successfully land on a lunar region believed to harbor significant water ice within its deep craters.
The spacecraft's touchdown occurred approximately six weeks subsequent to its launch from a spaceport situated in Andhra Pradesh. The successful landing was met with jubilant cheers and applause at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, where mission control is located.
Not a couple of hours passed since India successfully landed a spacecraft on the moon's south pole
Image credits: Pixabay
Image credits: The Indian Express
Chandrayaan-3 mission's team will conduct experiments for two weeks to determine the mineral composition of the lunar surface
Image credits: The Indian Express
Image credits: The Indian Express
Image credits: The Indian Express
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined a conference call at the space center to witness this historic event firsthand. He waved a small Indian flag as he watched Chandrayaan-3 make its triumphant descent onto lunar soil.
"This is the heartbeat of 1.4 billion people. This is the new India, the new beginning, the new thinking of the new efforts," Modi said in his speech to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) following the historic landing.
"This is a feature of the shine of India - we made a promise and we made it true on the surface of the moon."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrates this historic achievement as "the heartbeat of 1.4 billion people"
Image credits: The Indian Express
Following its successful touchdown, Chandrayaan-3 will remain operational for two weeks conducting various experiments aimed at determining the mineral composition of the moon’s surface which could lay the groundwork for a potential permanent base there in the future.
After a failed attempt nearly four years ago, India made history by becoming the first country to touch down near the little-explored South Pole region and joined the United States, the Soviet Union, and China in achieving a moon landing.
With enthusiasm, Modi concluded his speech by emphasizing that India's triumphant lunar mission belongs to more than just India. "We can all aspire for the moon and beyond," the Prime Minister said.
People congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation on its historic success
