India is celebrating. It is the fourth country in the world to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon. first to reach the south pole. Just hours after the moon landing, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has shared the first images taken from this never-before-visited territory.
The Vikram lander showed in the photographs the terrain without stones and craters, which made it easier to land. The first set of four images was taken by the device’s horizontal velocity camera as it approached the surface. In a follow-up post, the agency showed an image showing the feet of the ship and its shadow, taken with a Landing Imager.
“Chandrayan 3 has selected a relatively flat area on the surface of the Moon,” the space agency said in a post on X, formerly called Twitter. This is an unmanned mission. Previously, only the United States, China and Russia have managed to land a spacecraft on the surface of the moon.
The historic moment nearly fell to Russia, which earlier this month also launched an unmanned spacecraft to the south pole of the moon. However, the Russian team lost control during a maneuver last Saturday and their car crashed not far from where they planned to land.
What are the plans for the south pole of the moon?
Next, Chandrayaan 3 will release a small robotic vehicle that will take samples from the surface of the moon. called PragyanHindu name denoting a person of great knowledge and wisdom.
He all-terrain vehicle weighs about 26 kilograms. It is about the size of a small German Shepherd. It is equipped with several instruments that will allow measurements of thermal conductivity and temperature. It also has two probes, one for measuring plasma density and another capable of analyzing seismic activity.
Scientists believe there may be reservoirs of frozen water on this side of the moon. Theoretically, this material will allow produce oxygen for future moon bases manned. Hydrogen and oxygen can also be extracted to make rocket fuel. It will serve as a maintenance station, for example, to support future missions to Mars.
The mission is expected to last about two weeks. Its launch took place more than a month ago, and its estimated cost is $75 million. “India on the Moon” said Sridhara Somanath, head of the Indian Space Research Organization. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been watching everything from South Africa where he is attending the summit. “No other country has achieved this. We are witnesses of historyModi said, waving the Indian tricolor flag.
NASA Recognizes India’s Achievements
NASA almost immediately congratulated India on this feat. In an interview after the landing, Bill Nelson, head of the US space agency, stated that a landing was planned. “significant achievement” and that they are waiting for the first results.
Unlike China and Russia, India is a close ally of NASA. The country is among the 28 signatories of the Artemis Accords., an agreement setting guidelines for space exploration. The legal framework obliges them to publicly share their scientific discoveries and to respect certain “safe zones”.
India is already planning a joint mission with Japan to explore the shadowy regions or “dark side of the moon”. This project is planned for 2026. The Indian Space Research Organization said it would also attempt a manned mission to the Moon.
While India was the first to land a spacecraft on the moon’s south pole, NASA is likely to send the first manned mission. The launch of Artemis is scheduled for 2025, which will be the return of people to the natural satellite after more than 50 years. China also said it would send its first astronauts, but set a date of 2030.
Source: Hiper Textual
