- India has landed on the south pole of the moon, an uncharted region of the surface
- The country is now joining Russia, China and the US in landing on the moon
- Chandrayaan-3 will determine if water ice is hiding in the Antarctic
India is the fourth country to land on the moon after its Chandrayaan-3 hit the lunar surface on Wednesday.
The spacecraft, which means “lunar vehicle” in Hindi and Sanskrit, landed at the South Pole, beating the US, China and Russia in the uncharted territory.
For India, the successful landing marks its rise as a space power as the government looks to boost investment in private space launches and related satellite-based businesses.
Chandrayaan-3 is expected to remain functional for two weeks and conduct a series of experiments, including a spectrometer analysis of the mineral composition of the lunar surface to determine if there is water ice.
India is the fourth country to land on the moon after its Chandrayaan-3 made a soft landing on the lunar surface, days after a similar Russian lander crashed
The Indian Prime Minister watched the epic mission from South Asia and waved the national flag once the landing was confirmed