A little Indian probe that was speeding toward the Moon from above in 2008 was the catalyst for everything. The largest discovery of all was water signatures, which it discovered during its 25-minute journey. On Wednesday, India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully touched down on the moon, some 15 years after that deliberate accident.
The achievement comes almost four years after Chandrayaan-2, its predecessor, crashed while attempting to land. The team at the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) experienced pain on behalf of the entire country.
On Wednesday, India got redemption as Isro guided Vikram through a tricky dance of gravity and speed to the surface of the Moon.
1.4 billion Indians hoped and prayed that the lander, Vikram, would adhere to the landing as it started its descent at roughly 5:45 pm from a distance of about 25 kilometers above its destination. And Vikram actually did it.
The celebration started as soon as Vikram confirmed that it had really conquered the Moon to Mission Control in Bengaluru at precisely 6:03 pm.
After entering lunar orbit on August 5, Chandrayaan-3 had been circling the Moon for more than 15 days, having traveled approximately 4 lakh kilometers from Earth to its goal. The spacecraft was launched on July 14 from Sriharikota, India, and traveled a considerable distance while utilizing Earth’s gravity to increase its speed and hurtle through space.
The fact that Chandrayaan-3 landed in an area that has so far been uncharted and undiscovered makes it even more commendable. The Moon’s southern polar area, which is notable for being obscured from Earth’s view and experiencing temperatures ranging from over 50 degrees Celsius during the day to minus 200 degrees Celsius during the lunar night, was the location of the lander’s touchdown.
