The
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieved a historic milestone on
Wednesday evening by successfully carrying out a soft landing on the surface of
the moon with the Chandrasouth Pole spacecraft, strengthening India's standing
as a global space power. With the accomplishment of this mission, India has
become the fourth country to reach the surface of the moon and the fourth country
to successfully land a spacecraft there.
At
6:04 PM (IST), India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft made a smooth landing on the
moon's surface, ending the disappointment of Chandrayaan-2's lander's crash
landing four years earlier.
While
India's space program is praised for pulling off this feat on a shoestring
budget, C Raja Mohan contends in this article that cutting-edge and economical
tactics will no longer be sufficient to bring India dramatic changes in global
lunar activities. However, in a special piece in The Express, Nalini Singh
makes a forceful appeal to politicians: "Please refrain from using this
momentous achievement to gain political mileage, or from appearing on live
broadcasts to congratulate the ISRO Chairman." In this part, myths, tales,
and legends about heavenly bodies are retold by author Devdutt Pattnaik, who is
renowned for debunking urban legends. These myths, tales, and legends are
essential to our cultural truth and Indian identity.
This
mission would strengthen India's standing as a major space power. Only the
former Soviet Union, China, and the United States had made successful soft
landings on the moon before this. The southern pole of the moon is where
Chandrayaan-3 will land; this area is vital for spacefaring nations due to its
strategic and scientific value. Scientists think that this area has water ice
supplies hidden in dark craters that might be used as resources for upcoming
missions, possibly as rocket propellant or even as a source of drinking water.
While
at the BRICS summit in South Africa, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
virtually observed the landing and provided his thoughts via livestream.He
said, "On this occasion of joy, I want to address all the people of the
world." "India has accomplished more than simply itself with its
successful moon mission. The world is paying attention to India's G20
chairmanship this year. Globally, people are connecting with our concept of one
Earth, one family, and one future. Everyone has praised the human-centric
strategy we propose and stand for. This human-centric approach also informs our
lunar expedition, Modi remarked. Therefore, this accomplishment belongs to all
of humanity and will support future lunar missions by other nations.
Only
a few days have passed since another nation's failed attempt before India's
attempt to land its spacecraft close to the southern pole of the moon. Russia's
first lunar landing attempt in 47 years was aborted on August 19 after its Luna
25 spacecraft crashed on the moon due to an engine issue. The Chandrayaan-3
Journey Images were taken by Chandrayaan-3's cameras as it got closer to the
moon, including one from August 20 that the Indian space agency released on
Tuesday. A lander, a rover, and a propulsion module make up India's lunar
lander, which has the requisite thrust to travel the 384,400 kilometers
(238,855 miles) between the moon and Earth.
After
separating from the propulsion module, the lander, called Vikram, executed precise
maneuvers to make a soft touchdown on the lunar surface. Pragyan, a small,
six-wheeled rover that is concealed within, will roll out from the lander using
a ramp. Vikram softly shut down its engines for the touchdown at 6 PM and
utilized its on-board thrusters to properly orient itself forward once it was
close to the moon's surface. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
announced that two-way communication with the spacecraft had been established
and provided the first photographs of the lunar surface obtained during the
final descent as cheers erupted from the mission control room.
Both
the 26-kilogram (57.3-pound) rover named Pragyan and the rover called Vikram,
which weighs about 1,700 kilograms (3,748 pounds), are outfitted with
scientific tools to collect data for evaluating the lunar surface and offering
new insights into its structure. The addition of a seismometer in the lander,
which will try to detect moonquakes in the lunar interior, excited Dr. Angela
Marusiak, assistant research professor at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at
the University of Arizona.
For
upcoming trips to the moon's surface, Marusiak said that knowing how the moon's
interior layers move could be crucial information.
You
want to make sure that any prospective seismic activity won't endanger any
space travelers, Marusiak said. Or, if we built structures on the moon, those
structures would be secure from seismic action. On the lunar surface, the
lander and rover should work for around two weeks. India has joined the second
wave of burgeoning space powers through cooperation with nations like the US
and France. One of the busiest and most ambitious initiatives in the field of
space exploration, the nation's space program has advanced over time.
Chandrayaan-3 has generated a great deal of attention and pride for India as a
whole. A large audience gathered to see the mission's launch in July at the
Satish Dhawan Space Centre's launch pad in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. To see
the landing, more than 8 million people tuned in to the live feed.
At
least 500 people gathered at the Indian Space Research and Development
Organization (ISRO) in New Delhi on Wednesday to watch a live webcast in an
auditorium and a hastily constructed temporary tent. Indian sweets were given
out to spectators, fireworks were lit off, and applause erupted for more than a
minute after it was confirmed that the landing was successful.
Chants
of "Victory for Mother India" or "Victory for India" could
be heard, as children enthusiastically waved the Indian flag.
The
mission from India is much more significant now that India's last attempt, the
Chandrayaan-2 mission, failed in 2019. After China, India is become the second
nation in the twenty-first century to successfully land a spacecraft on the
moon thanks to Chandrayaan-3. Since 2013, India has successfully launched three
lunar landers, including the first one to contact the moon's far side. (The Apollo
17 mission, the last American lunar lander, set foot on the moon in 1972.)
More
than a dozen nations are preparing lunar missions over the upcoming years. This
includes a mission by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) that will
launch at the end of this month and three commercial lunar landers that the
United States intends to launch this year. The Artemis III project, which might
return astronauts to the moon by 2025, is still under development by NASA.
Landing
on the moon is still a difficult task, though. Chandrayaan-2, India's most
recent attempt to set foot on the moon's surface, proved failed in 2019. Two
commercial lunar landers crashed on the moon's surface more recently: one from
Japan in April and one from Israel in 2019.
"Congratulations
to #India for successfully landing a spacecraft on the moon, becoming the
fourth country to achieve a soft landing!" Nelson wrote in a social media
post on Wednesday. The Artemis Accords, which lay out guidelines for future
lunar exploration, are also signed by India. China and Russia have not ratified
the agreements.