India’s Chandrayaan-3 has successfully touched down on the moon, marking a triumphant end to its 40-day voyage that originated from the Sathish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota. This achievement comes after previous setbacks, including the crash of the Vikram lander during the Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2019.
A Noteworthy Landing at the South Pole
The Chandrayaan-3’s successful landing at the moon’s south pole comes in the wake of past challenges, specifically the unfortunate crash of its predecessor, Chandrayaan-2, in a similar attempt in 2019. The accomplishment gains further significance as it happened shortly after the Russian space agency’s intent to land in the same lunar region.
India Joins an Elite Club
With Chandrayaan-3’s successful landing, India joins an exclusive group of nations, previously consisting of only Russia, China, and the United States, that have managed a soft landing on the moon. This milestone pays homage to Vikram Sarabhai, the pioneer of the Indian space program and the namesake of the Vikram lander. As part of its lunar exploration, the Chandrayaan-3 Rover, deployed by the Vikram lander, will perform on-the-move chemical analyses of the lunar terrain at the south pole.
