As the world continues to explore the unfathomable cosmos, India is making significant strides by lighting up the dark side of the moon. “India reached the uncharted lunar South Pole because of our scientists’ hard work and talent,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
India’s moon mission Chandrayaan-3 not only marks a scientific breakthrough, but it also fuels the ambitions and dreams of a billion hearts.
The Successful Landing of Chandrayaan-3
Making history, the moon mission Chandrayaan-3 made a successful soft landing near the moon’s South Pole.
The spacecraft’s touchdown occurred at 6.04 pm, stoking a wave of euphoria that converged at the ISRO’s war room in Bengaluru.
But why the South Pole? Simply put, India is focused on this lunar region since traces of water were detected there.
Chandrayaan-3’s landing has, therefore, put India onboard the elite space club and made it the first nation to land near the Moon’s South Pole.
The Journey and Impact of Chandrayaan-3
Chandrayaan-3 embarked on its lunar journey on July 14 aboard a LVM 3 heavy-lift launch vehicle. It successfully entered lunar orbit on August 5.
Named after the father of the Indian space programme, Vikram Sarabhai, the lander Vikram was instrumental in the mission’s success.
What’s next after the highly anticipated landing? The rover Pragyan on Chandrayaan-3 will roll out once the dust from the landing disperses.
For the next 14 days, which is equivalent to one moon day, Pragyan will serve as India’s eyes on the lunar surface, transmitting images and data.
Beyond Chandrayaan-3: Looking Ahead
Following the Chandrayaan-3 mission, a flurry of ISRO projects are in the pipeline. Among them, the Gaganyaan mission, India’s ambitious human space flight programme, and Aditya-L1, the country’s first space-based observatory to study the Sun, are generating considerable excitement.”India’s journey to the moon is a human-centric approach, a journey for all humanity,” said PM Modi.
Hence, with Chandrayaan-3 having carved out a lunar legacy for India, the stage is set for more interstellar feats.
