In a historic juncture that resonated with jubilation across the nation, India has achieved a remarkable feat, becoming the pioneer country to adeptly land a spacecraft near the lunar south pole. The culmination of this monumental achievement was met with resounding applause from various gatherings where people had gathered to witness the event.
“Sreedhara Panicker Somanath, the chairperson of the Indian Space Research Organisation, jubilantly exclaimed, ‘India has firmly set its foothold on the moon!'” These were the words resonating in the air as the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft’s Vikram lander executed a seamless touchdown shortly after 6 pm (1230 BST) at the little-explored southern lunar pole, marking an unprecedented milestone in the annals of space exploration.
This triumphant landing not only underscores India’s emergence as a formidable force in space technology but also accentuates the government’s strategic intent to catalyze investments in private space ventures and satellite-linked enterprises.
Citizens from every nook and cranny of the nation remained spellbound in front of their television screens, their eyes riveted as the spacecraft approached a region scientists believe conceals invaluable reservoirs of frozen water and precious elements. In the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “This moment resonates as a resounding proclamation of a rejuvenated India,” as he, waving the Indian flag, observed the historic event from South Africa, where he was participating in the Brics summit. The prime minister emphasized, “We stand as witnesses to the making of history.”
In the days leading to the scheduled descent, a palpable blend of anticipation and exhilaration gripped the hearts of Indians across the subcontinent. Temples and mosques reverberated with special prayers, beseeching for the safe culmination of this mission. Along the banks of the sacred River Ganges in Varanasi, Hindu ascetics invoked blessings upon the endeavor, accompanied by the resonant notes of conch shells.
Streets were alive with celebrations on the evening of the event, as Indians united in festive jubilation, commemorating both their landmark achievement of being the pioneers to reach the southern pole of the moon and the fourth country overall to set foot on this celestial body.
In the twilight moments preceding the landing, the lander executed a sophisticated maneuver, deftly transitioning from a speed of 3,730 miles an hour to nearly immobile, simultaneously altering its orientation from horizontal to vertical. The delicate balance of tilt and thrust at this critical juncture was pivotal. An excessive application of force could have led to a catastrophic topple, while too little force might have caused a misplaced lunar contact.
It’s this intricate terminal maneuver that had faltered during India’s previous lunar expedition in 2019, when the lander’s positional adjustment malfunctioned, propelling it dangerously towards the lunar surface during the braking phase. Christened Chandrayaan-3, which translates to “moon craft” in Sanskrit, the spacecraft commenced its voyage from the launchpad at Sriharikota in southern India on the 14th of July. Its lunar trajectory, significantly longer than the swift Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s, involved several Earth orbits to accumulate velocity before embarking on its month-long sojourn to the moon.
Diverging from the robust launch systems used by the United States during the aforementioned Apollo missions, India opted for less powerful rockets. Instead, the probe underwent multiple Earth orbits, strategically harnessing gravitational forces to gain the required velocity before embarking on its extended lunar voyage.
In consonance with the project’s blueprint, a rover christened Pragyaan, an epithet denoting “wisdom” in Sanskrit, will soon disembark from the lander via a ramp, venturing onto the lunar terrain for a span of two weeks. The rover’s mandate encompasses image capture, geological experimentation, exploration into Earth’s origins, and a quest to ascertain the presence of water ice. Should substantial quantities of water ice be unearthed, this resource could potentially sustain future crewed missions by providing oxygen and fuel. Many scientists posit that the lunar south pole, veiled from Earth’s line of sight and pockmarked with craters and ravines, might offer the most propitious ground for a prospective lunar base.
India’s triumphant landing unfolds shortly after Russia reported the failure of its initial lunar mission in 47 years, which, too, targeted the southern pole of the moon. Russia’s Luna-25 spacecraft veered out of control and crashed. The head of Roscosmos, Russia’s kingdom-managed area organization, attributed this setback to a dearth of expertise due to the protracted hiatus in lunar exploration since the last Soviet lunar mission in 1976.
While the former Soviet Union, the USA, and China have completed smooth landings on the moon, albeit in exceptional regions close to the equator.
Prime Minister Modi’s management, steeped in nationalism, is eager to project India’s ascendancy in generation and space endeavors.
A successful lunar mission resonates harmoniously with Modi’s vision of an ascending India staking its claim among the global elite, bolstering his popularity ahead of the imminent general elections.