– Aug 23, 2023 6:53:25 PM IST

 

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 moon mission successfully soft-landed today at due time, 6.04 PM. India scripted history by becoming the first nation to land the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole, days after a Russian probe Luna-25 crashed in the same region.

Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14. Before India, only the United States, Russia and China have achieved a soft-landing on the surface of the Earth’s only natural satellite.

A momentous day for India’s most determined moon mission, because Chandrayaan-3 is all set to make a soft landing on the south pole of the lunar surface on Wednesday. All the Indians throughout the world regardless of any boundaries are eagerly waiting and praying for the successful landing of this mission. The successful landing opened the gate for India to be in an elite list of successful nations (United States of America, Soviet Union, and Republic of China) who landed on the moon. However, this landing will also create history, as this will be the first spacecraft in the history of mankind to land on the south pole of the lunar surface. Despite being at the BRICS Summit in South Africa, PM Modi will be virtually present at this historical event. 

In its current position, Chandrayaan-3 is heading towards the moon 25 km from the shortest point of the moon and 134 km from the longest. Space pundits believe that the last 20-25 minutes will be very crucial for the Vikram lander while landing on the moon’s surface. Looking at the history of Indian space history, Chandrayaan-2 failed during landing in the final 20 minutes. In the final stage of landing the process becomes autonomous, where the lander has to ignite its engine at the right time and right altitude. During this process, no one can do anything, so ISRO is very cautious about this process. 

Former ISRO scientist and Padma Shri awardee Mylswamy Annadurai said that things are going well so far and it is expected to do well in the mission. He added “I am also eagerly waiting, as per plan we must be able to land on the moon. After the discovery of water by Chandrayaan 1 the world was trying to look at the moon differently and was curious about many things.”

Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander is ready for a soft landing on the south pole of the Moon around 6:04 pm IST on August 23. People all over the world can watch the live landing from 5:20 pm IST. This mission will spark curiosity in the youth of the country about space exploration. In case of uncertainty in the landing, the next planned date for landing would be after 4 days i.e. 27th August. ISRO will decide a few hours before the landing whether everything is suitable for the landing or not.