The nation continues to beam in pride as ISRO Chandrayaan-3 made a ‘soft landing’ on the lunar south pole of the moon on Aug. 23, 2023, at 8:33 a.m. ET (1233 GMT or 6:03 p.m. India Standard Time). India became the first country in the world to have achieved this feat and the fourth in the world, after the United States, the former USSR and China to have successfully landed on the moon.
Chandrayaan’s Missions
Chandrayaan- 3 will be enabling India’s mission on the moon for one lunar day, or 14 earth days. Its lander payloads will be measuring the seismic activities around the landing site, the temperature and thermal conductivity, make estimations of the plasma density and its variations. Chandrayaan also carried a payload from NASA which aims to conduct a “passive experiment to understand the dynamics of the Moon system,” as informed by ISRO.
The rover payloads will aim at increasing the knowledge about the chemical and mineral composition of the lunar surface, and attain a better understanding of the elemental compositions of the soil and rocks. The Chandrayaan- 3 also carried a propulsion module payload. “Future discoveries of smaller planets in reflected light would allow us to probe into a variety of exo-planets which would qualify for habitability (or for presence of life),” the ISRO official website wrote explaining its functionality.
Similar Attempts from Other Nations
Combatting rough terrains, and temperatures as low as -230 degrees Celsius, Chandrayaan- 3’s successful landing trumped attempts from other countries aiming for the same goal. Russia’s Luna-25 spacecraft recently spun out of control before landing on the moon, and Japan’s attempt in April was also unsuccessful.
Entities and organizations from all around the world congratulated India for its success. PM Modi said, “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Team Chandrayaan, ISRO, and all the scientists of the country who have worked tirelessly for years for this moment… Through the hard work and talent of our scientists, India has reached the South Pole of the Moon where no other country in the world has ever reached,” while addressing the nation from South Africa on Chandrayaan- 3’s successful landing and congratulated ISRO Chairman S Somnath and the team.
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