Sarah Rickwood, Sue Bailey and Daniel Mora-Brito
August 13, 2024
India has made history by landing a spacecraft on the Moon's south pole. The Vikram lander touched down on August 23, 2023, at 13:30 GMT. This is the first time that any country has landed a spacecraft in this region of the Moon.
The mission, called Chandrayaan-3, is designed to search for water ice on the Moon. Water ice could be used to support future Moon exploration and even permanent human bases. The Vikram lander also carries a 26kg, 6-wheeled rover named Pragyaan. The Sanskrit word for wisdom, Pragyaan, will explore the area, collecting data and images to send back to Earth.
The landing of Vikram on the Moon's south pole is a major milestone for India's space program. It is only the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon and the first to do so in this region. The mission is also significant because it could help to answer some of the biggest questions about the Moon's water resources.
The successful landing of Vikram on the Moon's south pole is a major boost for Moon exploration. It shows that it is possible to land in this challenging region, and it opens up new possibilities for future missions. The data and images collected by Pragyaan will help scientists to better understand the Moon's water resources, and this could lead to the development of new technologies for Moon exploration.
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