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A16 SPACE
Friday 25 august 2023

India lands a spacecraft near the moon’s south pole, a first for the

world as it joins elite club

NEW DELHI (AP) — India Modi’s efforts to revitalize son congratulated India on
became the first country India’s global standing — X, formerly known as Twit-
to land a spacecraft near and to finally shake off the ter, saying ``We’re glad to
the moon’s south pole on legacy of British colonializa- be your partner on this mis-
Wednesday — a historic tion — has resonated with sion!”
voyage to uncharted terri- many Indians. The moon “Incredible!” European
tory that scientists believe landing was seen by many Space Agency’s director
could hold vital reserves of as further proof that their general Josef Aschbacher
frozen water, and a tech- country is a rising, modern tweeted.
nological triumph for the superpower. India’s Chandrayaan-3 —
world’s most populous na- “moon craft” in Sanskrit —
tion. India will host next month’s took off from a launchpad
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman S. G-20 Summit, and Modi is in Sriharikota in southern In-
After a failed attempt to Somanath and his officers celebrate the successful landing of expected to use the event dia on July 14.
land on the moon in 2019, spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 on the moon at ISRO’s Telemetry, to spotlight the country’s
Tracking and Command Network facility in Bengaluru, India,
India now joins the United Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. India has landed a spacecraft near growing geopolitical clout. Many countries and private
States, the Soviet Union and the moon’s south pole, an unchartered territory that scientists Even as it maintains historic companies are interested
China as only the fourth believe could hold vital reserves of frozen water and precious ties with Russia, the U.S. and in the South Pole region be-
country to achieve this elements, as the country cements its growing prowess in space other Western nations con- cause permanently shad-
milestone. A lander with a and technology. tinue to woo India, whom owed craters may hold
rover inside touched down (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) they see as a critical bul- frozen water that could
on the lunar surface at 6:04 India has reached the search Organization. wark against China’s grow- help future astronaut mis-
p.m. local time, sparking south pole of the moon ing influence. sions use it as a potential
celebrations across India, — no other country has The mission, which began source of drinking water or
including in the south- achieved that. We are wit- more than a month ago at Accolades poured in from to make rocket fuel.
ern Indian city of Benga- nessing history,” Modi said an estimated cost of $75 around the world to ac-
luru, where space scien- as he waved the Indian tri- million, is expected to last knowledge India’s emer- Aruba Today congratulates
tists watching the landing colored flag while watch- another two weeks. Som- gence as a modern space the entire Indian communi-
erupted in cheers and ap- ing the landing from South nath said that India would power. ty in Aruba with this exciting
plause. Africa, where he is partici- next attempt a manned lu- NASA Administrator Bill Nel- achievement!
pating in the BRICS nations nar mission.
The successful mission summit.
showcases India’s rising Nuclear-armed India grew
standing as a technology The lunar rover will slide to become the world’s fifth-
and space powerhouse down a flap from the land- largest economy last year,
and dovetails with the im- er within hours or a day and the success of the lu-
age that Prime Minister Na- and conduct experiments, nar mission will likely help
rendra Modi is trying to proj- including an analysis of Modi’s popularity ahead of
ect: an ascendant country the mineral composition of a crucial general election
asserting its place among the lunar surface, said S. next year.
the global elite. Somnath, chairman of the
“India is now on the moon. state-run Indian Space Re- India’s success comes just
days after Russia’s Luna-25,
which was aiming for the
same lunar region, spun
into an uncontrolled or-
bit and crashed. It would
have been the first suc-
cessful Russian lunar land-
ing after a gap of 47 years.
Russia’s head of the state-
controlled space corpora-
This image from video provided by the Indian Space tion Roscosmos attributed
Research Organisation shows the surface of the moon as the failure to the lack of
the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft prepares for landing on expertise due to the long
Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. India became the first country to break in lunar research that
land a spacecraft near the moon’s south pole, which scientists followed the last Soviet mis-
believe could hold vital reserves of frozen water. (ISRO via AP)
sion to the moon in 1976.

"INDIA IS NOW ON
CONGRATULATIONS FOR

BEING THE FIRST NATION TO THE MOON"

SUCCESSFUL REACH THE

SOUTH POLE OF THE MOON