Chandrayaan 3 moon landing LIVE: Updates as ISRO takes India to the moon - landing on its South Pole

Excited and anxious, people across India, home to the world's largest population, crowded around televisions in offices, shops, restaurants and homes.

Thousands had prayed on Tuesday for the success of the mission, with oil lamps on river banks, temples and religious places, including the holy city of Varanasi in northern India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen on a livestream broadcast into the Indian Space Research Organisation's control room, smiling and waving an Indian flag as Chandrayaan-3 landed.

'India is now on the Moon,' he said.

The livestream of the aircraft's landing on the South Pole has now ended. 

If you are just joining and want to watch back the historic landing, you can view the stream in full below.  

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) staff celebrate the successful landing of spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 on the moon at ISRO's Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network facility in Bengaluru, India.

The crowd from mission control that formed prior to the landing is now dispersing in celebration. 

Could this prove to be a pivotal moment in the so-called 'space race'?

The first photos of the successful landing, which is a landmark achievement for India, can be seen below. 

'Landing on the south pole (of the moon) would actually allow India to explore if there is water ice on the moon. And this is very important for cumulative data and science on the geology of the moon,' said Carla Filotico, a partner and managing director at consultancy SpaceTec Partners.

Modi has begun has statement by saying humanity 'can all aspire to the moon and beyond'. 

It comes after confirmation that India has successfully landed its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft near the Moon'ssouth pole, uncharted territory that scientists believe could hold importantreserves of frozen water and precious elements.

For India, the successful landing marks its emergence as a space power as the government looks to spur investment in private space launches and related satellite-based businesses.

People across the country were glued to television screens and said prayers as the spacecraft approached the surface.

With five minutes to go, the livestream's narrators has confirmed that vertical descent phase one has now got underway. 

There are now just 10 minutes to go until landing which, for anyone just joining us, is expected at 13:34 GMT. 

As time ticks away, Indian Prime Minister has tuned in to the livestream from South Africa in anticipation of the landing.

There are now just 15 minutes to go until landing, with the Chandrayaan-3 just seen taking photos of the surface of the South Pole moon. 

There are now just under 50km left for the Chandrayaan-3 to travel until it reaches the surface. 

Prior to the projected landings - which are now under 15 minutes to go - the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) said in a statement: 'India's pursuit of space exploration reaches a remarkable milestone with the impending Chandrayaan-3 mission, poised to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface.

'This achievement marks a significant step forward for Indian science, engineering, technology, and industry, symbolising our nation's progress in space exploration.'

An update has confirmed that the power descent of Chandrayaan-3 has begun.

Pictured: Indian labourers hang a poster during the soft landing of the 'Chandrayaan-3 Mission' event at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bangalore, India,

Indian capital New Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday posted images of children from a school in south Delhi, stating: 'Delighted to see the sincere interest and enthusiasm of the Delhi Govt. school kids as they await for Chandrayaan-3 landing.

'Heartfelt wishes from these young minds add to the excitement of the evening. Our scientists are making us immensely proud. Jai Hind'

ISRO's official YouTube channel has begun a livestream of the event, which you can watch below. 

A reminder that the landing is expected at 13:34 BST. 

India are in competition with a number of other countries as part of what's being described as 'space race 2.0', China and the US also have ambitions to land at the moon's southernmost region later this decade. 

So what is it about the lunar south that means the world's greatest space superpowers are so interested in getting there? 

Here is everything you need to know about the mission to land on the moon's South Pole. 

Earlier this morning, ISRO released a Tweet from its official account which read: 'The mission is on schedule.

'Systems are undergoing regular checks. Smooth sailing is continuing. The Mission Operations Complex (MOX) is buzzed with energy & excitement!

India's previous attempt to land on the lunar south pole failed in 2019.

Chandrayaan-2 successfully deployed an orbiter but its lander and rover were destroyed in a crash near where Chandrayaan-3 will attempt a touchdown.

Rough terrain is one of the complications for a south pole landing.

ISRO scientists say they have made adjustments that make it more likely the current mission will land successfully. That includes a system to broaden the potential landing zone. The lander has also been equipped with more fuel and sturdier legs for impact.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission was launched on July 14 from India's main space port in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

Since then, it has looped through progressively wider-ranging orbits of Earth, transferred to a lunar orbit and emerged as a focus of national pride and global interest after Russia's failed attempt to beat it to a landing on the moon's south pole.

It will attempt to land there at about 18:04 IST (13:34 BST) on Wednesday.

The Chandrayaan-3 is aimed at the lunar south pole, a region with water ice, or frozen water, that could be a source of oxygen, fuel and water for future moon missions or a more permanent moon colony.

If it lands successfully, the Chandrayaan-3 is expected to remain functional for two weeks, running a series of experiments including a spectrometer analysis of the mineral composition of the lunar surface.

The Chandrayaan-3 lander stands about two metres tall and has a mass of just over 1,700 kg (3,747.86 lb), roughly on par with an SUV. It is designed to deploy a smaller, 26-kg lunar rover.