Just days after a comparable Russian lander failed, India’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft will attempt to land on the moon again on Wednesday. This mission is important for lunar exploration and the country’s position as a space power.
Less than a week after Russia’s Luna-25 mission failed, the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft will make an attempt to land on the lunar south pole at around 6:04 p.m. local time (12:34 p.m. GMT) on Wednesday.
India’s mission — Chandrayaan, which in Hindi and Sanskrit means ‘moon vehicle’ — is its second effort to set foot there. The orbiter on ISRO’s Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2019 was successfully launched, but the lander collapsed.
On Wednesday, television stations ran countdown timers to the landing and newspapers featured banner headlines expressing anticipation and enthusiasm.
While they awaited live broadcasts of the landing, schoolchildren waved the Indian tricolour during prayers in the nation’s temples, mosques, and churches.
According to the media, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will watch the arrival from South Africa, where he is currently attending the BRICS conference.
A landing at the moon’s south pole is challenging due to the rough terrain, and a first touchdown would be significant. The water ice in the area could provide future expeditions with water, oxygen, and fuel.
In light of the administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to encourage investment in commercial space launches and allied satellite-based industries, a successful lunar landing would signal India’s emergence as a space power.
