Indian Chandrayaan-3 Mission achieves soft landing on the moon
India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission has triumphantly landed near the lunar south pole in a milestone for space exploration. On August 19th, the Russian Luna 25 spacecraft crashed into the same area.
India became the first country to land softly near the southern pole of the Moon on August 23, 2023. Additionally, India occupies a unique position in lunar exploration around the uncharted lunar south pole area.
A lunar landing makes this achievement even more significant. It has been accomplished by the United States, China, and the former Soviet Union to land softly near the lunar equator, an area that is well known for its relatively hospitable conditions. There is, however, a unique set of challenges associated with the lunar south pole because of its rugged terrain, extreme cold, and perpetual darkness in some regions. Because of these harsh conditions, there is little scientific knowledge and exploration in this area.
Chandrayaan-3 accomplished this soft landing after 22 days of travel in space. The Satish Dhawan Space Centre launched the spacecraft on July 14th, and it entered the Moon’s orbit on August 5th. On August 17th, the Vikram lander separated from its propulsion module to prepare for soft landing.
In 2019, India tried to reach the moon with its Chandrayaan-2 mission, which sadly crashed on the surface of the moon. With this successful soft landing, India opens up new opportunities for human spaceflight and lunar exploration.
Chandrayaan-3 will use the Pragyan rover to investigate the area for a lunar day, or about 14 Earth days, despite the inhospitable environment of the lunar south pole. Experiments will be conducted, including X-ray spectrometry to analyze the Moon’s surface.
Indian spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 has achieved a soft landing near the lunar south pole, making its name in history. As Chandrayaan 3 explores the southern pole of the Moon, it will reveal valuable insights and discoveries.
Via: The Verge
