India’s Chandrayaan-3 makes history by landing on the Moon’s unexplored south pole

Humanity has achieved another milestone that will go down in history, and this time it’s not thanks to NASA or our European Space Agency. India did something amazing: it landed a module on the moon’s south pole. And we’re going to explain what that means.

India’s Space History on the Moon

India has made a remarkable achievement in space exploration on the Moon. The Indian space agency, ISRO, has successfully sent a probe and a rover to land on our satellite, in an area that no human had ever reached before.

The Vikram probe, which means ‘bravery’ in Sanskrit, touched down on the lunar surface yesterday afternoon, completing the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

• Russia was the first country to reach the moon with a spacecraft in 1959, and the first to land softly on its surface in 1966. It also brought back some moon rocks without sending any humans in 1970.
• The US followed Russia’s footsteps and achieved its first soft landing a few months later in 1966. But it went further and sent 12 astronauts to walk on the moon between 1969 and 1972, making it the only country to do so.
• China joined the moon club in 2013, when it landed Chang’e 3, the first spacecraft to touch down on the moon since 1976. It also made history in 2019, when it landed Chang’e 4 on the far side of the moon, a feat that no other country has accomplished.

Everyone in India is super excited about the moon landing that’s going to happen soon. People are praying for it to go well, schools are making students watch it live on TV, and space fans are having parties to celebrate.

The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft from ISRO is going to land on the south pole of the moon at 12:34 GMT on Wednesday. That’s where no one has landed before, and where there might be water ice that could help people live on the moon someday.

This is India’s second try to land on the moon after the first one didn’t work in 2019. It shows how strong and determined our scientists are.

They also want to inspire millions of students in our country to be curious and learn more about science.

ISRO has received many messages from students who are cheering for them and wishing them good luck.

India's journey in space exploration is poised to achieve a notable landmark as the #Chandrayaan3 prepares to soft land on the lunar surface.

How many countries so far have successfully pulled off soft landing on the #Moon? Swipe to know.

— BQ Prime (@bqprime) August 21, 2023