India has successfully achieved the remarkable milestone of landing its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the moon, solidifying its position as the fourth nation in history to accomplish this extraordinary endeavor.

The success of this mission has the potential to establish India as a significant global player in the realm of space exploration. Until now, soft landings on the Lunar surface have been achieved exclusively by the United States, China, and the former Soviet Union.

Chandrayaan-3’s chosen landing site pushes the boundaries further by venturing closer to the moon’s south pole than any previous spacecraft. This region at the south pole holds significant scientific and strategic importance for countries involved in space exploration, as it is believed to contain valuable water ice deposits according to scientific understanding.

The frozen water tucked within dim craters has the potential to be transformed into propellant for rockets or even serve as a source of potable water for upcoming crewed missions.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Now in South Africa for the BRICS Summit, watched the landing virtually and shared broadcasted comments on the livestream.

“On this momentous occasion…I would like to address all the people of the world,” he said. “This success belongs to all of humanity, and it will help moon missions by other countries in the future.”

India’s endeavor to achieve a lunar south pole landing takes place shortly after another country’s unsuccessful endeavor to accomplish the same feat. Russia’s Luna 25 spacecraft, which experienced engine misfires, unfortunately crashed into the moon on August 19, marking the end of their first lunar landing attempt in 47 years.

During Chandrayaan-3’s approach towards the moon, its cameras snapped pictures, including one taken on August 20, which India’s space agency unveiled on Tuesday. This image presents a detailed view of the moon’s dusty gray terrain.

Chandrayaan-3’s Journey

The Indian lunar lander comprises three components: a lander, a rover, and a propulsion module. Up until now, the propulsion module has been responsible for supplying the spacecraft with the necessary thrust to cover the 384,400-kilometer (238,855-mile) expanse separating Earth and the moon.

The lander, named Vikram, successfully executed the precise maneuvers necessary to achieve a gentle landing on the lunar surface following its separation from the propulsion module. Enclosed within Vikram is Pragyan, a compact six-wheeled rover that will be released from the lander by descending down a ramp.

Weighing approximately 1,700 kilograms (3,748 pounds), the lander and its accompanying 26-kilogram (57.3-pound) rover are equipped with an array of scientific instruments. These instruments are poised to gather data that will aid researchers in scrutinizing the lunar surface, offering new perspectives on its composition and characteristics.

Expressing her enthusiasm, Dr. Angela Marusiak, an assistant research professor at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, highlighted her particular interest in the lunar lander’s incorporation of a seismometer. This seismometer will strive to identify seismic activity occurring within the moon’s interior.

According to Marusiak, investigating the movement of the moon’s internal layers holds crucial significance as it could provide essential insights for upcoming missions conducted on the lunar surface.

“You want to make sure that any potential seismic activity wouldn’t endanger any astronauts,” Marusiak said. “Or, if we were to build structures on the moon, that they would be safe from any seismic activity.”

Anticipated to operate for approximately two weeks on the moon’s surface, both the lander and rover are projected to remain functional. Meanwhile, the propulsion module will stay in orbit, acting as an intermediary station to transmit data back to Earth.

A Global Race to the Moon

Collaborating with partners like the United States and France, India is contributing to the second wave of emerging space nations. The nation’s space initiative has positioned it as one of the most active in the world, focusing on advancing exploratory space technology.

Chandrayaan-3 has ignited a sense of national pride and captured immense attention throughout India. Masses gathered at the launch site in the Satish Dhawan Space Centre located in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. On Wednesday, the livestream of the landing drew an audience of over 8 million viewers.

India’s mission has assumed heightened importance following Russia’s unsuccessful Luna 25 landing endeavor. Chandrayaan-3’s triumph marks India as the second nation, after China, to achieve a moon landing in the 21st century. China has managed three lunar surface landings since 2013, notably including the first on the moon’s far side. (The most recent US lunar landing was the crewed Apollo 17 mission in 1972.)

Over a dozen nations are gearing up for upcoming lunar missions, among them Japan’s space agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, which is set to launch a mission later this month. The United States, on the other hand, is preparing to dispatch three commercial lunar landers to the moon, possibly beginning this year. Concurrently, NASA is advancing its Artemis III mission with the goal of potentially sending astronauts back to the moon by 2025.

Nonetheless, achieving a successful moon landing continues to present formidable challenges. India’s previous effort to land a spacecraft on the moon, as part of the Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2019, ended in failure. Additionally, two commercial spacecraft have encountered crash landings on the lunar surface in recent years: one from Israel in 2019 and another from Japan in April.

“There is no doubt that landing on the Moon is a real challenge,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement this week. “But the Moon offers great scientific reward, which is why we’ve seen so many recent attempts to visit the surface again. We’re looking forward to all that we will learn in the future, including from India’s Chandraayan-3 mission.”

India has also joined as a signatory to the United States’ Artemis Accords, a set of guidelines that delineate suggested principles for forthcoming lunar exploration. Notably, Russia and China have chosen not to endorse the accords.

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