In a historic first, India on Wednesday became the first country to land on South Pole of Moon.
With the landing of Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander on Moon, India has become only the fourth country after the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China to land on Moon and the first ever to land on Moon's South Pole. The Chandrayaan-3's lifespan is of two weeks during which Vikram lander and Pragyan rover will conduct scientific activities.
In a historic first, India on Wednesday became the first country to land on South Pole of Moon.
The Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3 touched down on Moon's South Pole at 06:04 pm. With this, India became only the fourth country in the world to land on Moon after the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China.
The descent of the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3 began around 5:45 pm. With the automatic landing sequence (ALS), there was no human intervention in the final critical moments of the mission.
For the next two weeks, the Vikram lander and Pragyaan rover of Chandrayaan-3 would conduct a series of scientific experiments. The duo would be the first set of eyes and ears of humanity on the Lunar South Pole where they continue the storied legacy of the Chandrayaan programme. In 2009, Chandrayaan-1 with a US instrument aboard had confirmed the presence of ice on Lunar South Pole.