India’s spacecraft lands on the moon
Chandrayaan-3 is expected to remain functional for two weeks, running a series of experiments.
India’s Chandrayaan-3 has finally landed on the moon after a 40-day journey starting from the Sathish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota and a history of space crashing.
The Vikram lander which crashed into the lunar surface during previous Chandrayaan’s missions, has eventually reached the moon’s south pole.
On Wednesday, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said it was all set to activate the automatic landing sequence of the spacecraft, triggering the algorithm that will take over once it reaches the designated spot and help it land.
Chandrayaan-3 is expected to remain functional for two weeks, running a series of experiments including a spectrometer analysis of the mineral composition of the lunar surface following its landing.
Its landing comes days after a Russian probe crashed in the same region and four years since the previous Indian attempt failed at the last moment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi smiled broadly and waved an Indian flag on a live broadcast to announce the mission’s success as a triumph that extended beyond his country’s borders.
“On this joyous occasion I would like to address the people of the world,” said Modi from the sidelines of the BRICS diplomatic summit in South Africa.
“India’s successful moon mission is not just India’s alone,” he added.
“This success belongs to all of humanity.”
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