India Lands Chandrayaan-3 Module on the South Pole of the Moon, Ready To Explore!

Aug. 23, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)—When India’s lander module successfully landed on the South Pole of the Moon on Wednesday, Aug. 23, the Indian Space Research Organization Mission Control team burst into cheers, clapping, hugs, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, watching by live video hookup from Johannesburg, South Africa, waved an Indian flag. If you have not yet watched the video from ISRO’s control room of the final descent, do so! As Modi told the happy team immediately after the landing: “When we see such history being made in front of our eyes, life becomes blessed.... This success belongs to all of humanity.”

India is only the fourth nation to ever land on the Moon, and the first nation to land at its South Pole—a whole new territory for Mankind’s exploration. The joy was especially great, as the team had worked without rest to achieve this in the four years since the Chandrayaan-2 lander crashed on the Moon in 2019.

Within two hours of its landing, ISRO released the first images of the Moon’s surface around the lander, named Vikram, and is readying the scientific instruments aboard it and the rover Pragyan, that has yet to be released. Both have a mission life of one lunar day (about 14 Earth days), in which to study the Moon’s atmosphere and mineral composition, the spectral and polarimetric measurements of Earth from the lunar orbit, seismic activity, amongst other scientific tasks.

Modi’s speech to the team captures how space exploration lifts up a nation. The Prime Minister outlined the new, greater tasks to be accomplished. It was delivered in Hindi, except for his special message to all humanity, made in English. The following is a machine-translation:

“When we see such history being made in front of our eyes, life becomes blessed. Such historical events become the living consciousness of national life. This moment is unforgettable. This moment is unprecedented.... This is the moment to chant the slogan of new India. This is a moment to cross an ocean of difficulties. This is a moment to walk on the lunar path of victory.... This is a moment of new energy, new faith and new consciousness in India. This is a moment of invocation for India’s emerging destiny.... We made a resolution on Earth, and realized it on the Moon.... Today, we are witnessing a new flight of new India into space....

“Due to the hard work and talent of our scientists, India has reached the south pole of the Moon, where no country in the world has been able to reach to date. From today onwards, the myths associated with the Moon will change, the plot will also change, and the proverbs will also change for the new generation. In India, we all call the Earth mother and the Moon as mama. It was once said that Chanda Mama is very ‘far away’. Now a day will come when the children will say—Chanda mama is just a ‘tour.’

[in English]: “Friends: On this joyous occasion, I would also like to address all the people of the world, the people of every country, and region. India’s successful Moon mission is not India’s alone. This is a year in which the world is witnessing India’s G20 presidency. Our approach of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ is resonating across the globe. This human-centric approach that we represent has been welcomed universally. Our Moon mission is also based on the same human-centric approach. Therefore, this success belongs to all of humanity. And it will help Moon missions by other countries in the future. I am confident that all countries in the world, including those from the Global South, are capable of achieving such feats. We can all aspire for the Moon and beyond.

[Back to Hindi]: “My family members, This achievement of Chandrayaan Maha Mission will take India’s flight beyond the orbits of the Moon. We will test the power of the limits of our Solar System, and must also work to realize the infinite possibilities of the universe for humans. We have set many big and ambitious goals for the future. Soon, ISRO is going to launch ‘Aditya L-1’ mission for detailed study of the Sun. After this, Venus is also one of the goals of ISRO. Through Gaganyaan, the country is also fully prepared for its first human space flight mission. India is proving time and again that the sky is not the limit.

“Friends, science and technology is the basis of the bright future of the country. Therefore, the country will remember this day forever. May this day inspire all of us to move towards a bright future. This day will show us the way to the fulfillment of our resolutions. This day is a symbol of how to win by learning from defeat. Once again, many congratulations to all the scientists of the country and best wishes for the future mission! Thank you very much.”