About 1.4 billion people live in India. They had a lot to celebrate on August 23. India became the fourth nation to land a spacecraft safely on the Moon. It’s the first to land a craft on the Moon’s South Pole!
This mission began on July 14, 2023. A rocket carrying three spacecraft launched from Sriharikota, India. No humans were on board. One spacecraft was a named Pragyan. Scientists built it to drive around the Moon! A lander named Vikram had the role of carrying Pragyan. A third craft was the . It took the spacecraft to the Moon.
The orbiter had the lander and the rover on board. It got close to the Moon on August 5. It flew around and around the Moon. On August 17, the lander separated itself from the orbiter. It was getting ready for the big landing!
Finally, it came time to touch down. Scientists in India watched closely. And… it was a success! Experts clapped, cheered, and hugged each other.
It’s not easy to land a spacecraft on the Moon. This was India’s second try. The nation’s first attempt failed. And around the same time as India’s landing, a craft from Russia crashed. Still, Russia congratulated India.
Next, the Pragyan rover will do tests. It will take samples from the Moon’s surface. Scientists hope to learn more about the history of the Moon!
India’s leader is Narendra Modi. When the spacecraft landed safely on the Moon, he was at a meeting with BRICS leaders. The BRICS group is made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Modi said he wanted to work together with other BRICS members on space projects!
Updated August 23, 2023, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Ryan Cramer
