Historic feat! India on Moon as ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 lands on lunar south pole

Bengaluru: A moment that would be counted as a major leap in space science, India's Chandrayaan-3 Moon mission made history as the Lander Module, featuring the lander Vikram and the rover Pragyan, successfully achieved a momentous soft landing on the Moon's south pole. The touchdown happened at 6:03 pm on Wednesday, August 23, a day that will be remembered in India's and the world's history.

"'India, I reached my destination and you too!': Chandrayaan-3," the ISRO said adding, "Chandrayaan-3 has successfully soft-landed on the moon ! Congratulations, India!" "We have achieved a soft landing on the moon. India is on the Moon," ISRO Chief S Somanath said moments after the LM landed on the lunar surface.

The lander with four legs, had multiple sensors to ensure a safe touchdown, including an accelerometer, altimeters, Doppler velocimeter, inclinometer, touchdown sensor, and a suite of cameras for hazard avoidance and positional knowledge. The lander carries the rover in a compartment with a ramp for deployment onto the surface.

As soon as the LM landed successfully, celebrations broke out at ISRO's Mission Operations Complex in Bengaluru. Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was watching the proceedings live from South Africa lauded ISRO and the entire country. "We are witness to the new flight of new India; new history has been written," PM Modi said.

"This is a historic movement and sounds the bugle for a developed India," he said. With this, India has become the first country to reach the unexplored larger south pole of the Moon. Also, India has become the fourth country to master the technology of soft-landing on the lunar surface after the US, China and the erstwhile Soviet Union.

Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 and its objectives are to demonstrate a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface, roving on the Moon, and conduct in-situ scientific experiments. Chandrayaan-2 had failed in its lunar phase when its lander 'Vikram' crashed into the surface of the Moon minutes before the touchdown following anomalies in the braking system in the lander while attempting a landing on September 7, 2019. Chandrayaan's maiden mission was in 2008.

The Rs 600 crore Chandrayaan-3 mission was launched on July 14 onboard Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM-3) rocket, for a 41-day voyage to reach near the lunar south pole. The soft-landing took place days after Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the Moon after spinning out of control. The lander and the six-wheeled rover (with total mass of 1,752 kg) are designed to operate for one lunar daylight period (about 14 Earth days).

Also read: 'India's Chandrayaan-3 success is not just India's alone but of humanity:' PM Modi on moon mission success