India’s third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, has entered the lunar orbit, the country’s space agency has announced. The spacecraft, which comprises an orbiter, lander, and rover, is expected to make a soft landing near the Moon’s south pole on August 23 or 24.
If successful, India will be the first country to land near the Moon’s south pole, which is an area that is still largely unexplored. The south pole is of particular interest to scientists because it is thought to be a potential source of water, which could be used for future human exploration.
Chandrayaan-3 is the latest in India’s programme of lunar exploration. The country’s first Moon mission, Chandrayaan-1, was launched in 2008 and discovered the presence of water molecules on the lunar surface. Chandrayaan-2, which was launched in 2019, was only partially successful, as the lander-rover failed to make a soft landing.
The success of Chandrayaan-3 would be a major achievement for India and would further boost the country’s reputation as a spacefaring nation.
The south pole of the Moon is thought to be a potential source of water because it is permanently in shadow. This means that water ice could have accumulated in this region over billions of years. The presence of water on the Moon would be a major discovery, as it could be used to support future human exploration of the lunar surface.
Chandrayaan-3 is carrying a number of scientific instruments that will be used to study the Moon’s surface and atmosphere.
The success of Chandrayaan-3 would be a major achievement for India and would further boost the country’s reputation as a spacefaring nation. It would also be a significant step forward in the exploration of the Moon, and would help scientists to better understand this fascinating celestial body.
