India becomes first country to land spacecraft on the Moon’s South Pole

India on Wednesday, August 23, became the first country to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon’s south pole.

The unmanned Chandrayaan-3, which means “Mooncraft” in Sanskrit, touched down at 6:04 pm India time (1234 GMT), six weeks after launching on board a rocket from a spaceport in Andhra Pradesh, Sky News reports.

Its landing comes days after a Russian probe cr@shed in the same region and four years since the previous Indian attempt failed at the last moment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi smiled broadly and waved an Indian flag on a live broadcast to announce the mission’s success as a triumph that extended beyond his country’s borders.

“This is the heartbeat of 1.4bn people. This is the new India, the new beginning, the new thinking of the new efforts. This is a feature of the shine of India- we made a promise and we made it true on the surface of the moon. This is a historic moment, and for every Indian, we are all very proud.”

India’s successful moon mission is not just India’s alone. We can all aspire for the moon and beyond. This success belongs to all of humanity,” he said.

Following the successful landing, Chandrayaan-3 will only remain functional for two weeks, during which it will run a series of experiments to determine the mineral composition of the moon’s surface.

Much of the work will be done by a rover, which will be deployed by the spacecraft’s two-metre-high lander.

Scientists have a particular interest in water ice, as it could be used for fuel, oxygen, and drinking water – with the mission laying the groundwork for a potential permanent base.