India became in the fourth country to reach the Moon, after the Chandrayaan-3 Mission reached the surface of the satellite. In addition, it is the first nation to land near the South Pole.
“India is now on the moon” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, immediately after the Vikram lander touched down.
It joins the United States, the Soviet Union and China, who managed to bring spacecraft. Only the Americans were able to transport astronauts, with 12 of them walking on the Moon.
This year, Japan and Russia failed in their missions, the first private, the second state.
Inside the Chandrayaan-3 Mission Moon Landing Module stands the six-wheeled Pragyan rover, which will roam the lunar surface collecting images and data.
During these 14 days, the Pragyan rover will conduct the first studies.
According to experts, the south pole of the Moon is a place where there would be important resources: they talk about everything from minerals to water.
About the water, the BBC points out: “The enormous craters, permanently in the shade, they contain ice. And not only would this be vital for human visitors, but the water, when split into hydrogen and oxygen, could be used as future fuel to jump to other parts of the Solar System.”
Water, oxygen, fuel. All at the south pole of the Moon. But the exploration of India is just beginning.
India’s space program was established by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962, as part of the Department of Atomic Energy. incospar became ISRO, Indian Space Research Agency.
S. Somanath, president of the ISRO aerospace agency, indicated that the fact is key to the future shipment of spacecraft to Mars.
“This gives confidence to set up missions not only to go to the Moon, but also to go to Mars. Maybe reach Mars, and maybe in the future Venus and other planets.” he said, quoted by Times of India.