After years of trolling, Pakistan's ex-minister finally lauds ISRO's Chandrayaan-3
Pakistan's former Science and Technology Minister, Fawad Hussain Chaudhry, who once mocked India's space missions, has now praised Chandrayaan-3, India's third lunar mission, calling it a "historic moment for humankind." Marking a significant shift in his stance from 2019, he congratulated India's scientists and the space community on social media while calling on the Pakistani media to broadcast the Moon landing live. He had previously questioned India's spending on Chandrayaan-2 and trolled the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Why does this story matter?
The mission's success would be a significant achievement for India's space program and could pave the way for future lunar exploration missions by other countries as well. While Pakistan's space agency, the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), was established in 1961, eight years before ISRO, it fell behind due to economic challenges, an orthodox education system, and constant internal strife. With very little activity until the 1990s, it is currently working on a space program for 2040.
Chaudhry lauded Chandrayaan-3's launching but was trolled over this statement
Chandrayaan-3 set to make soft landing on Wednesday evening
Chandrayaan-3 is set to land on the Moon's south pole on Wednesday at 6:04pm. If successful, India will join the United States, Russia, and China as the fourth country to pull off a soft landing on the Moon. The lander module is currently searching for the ideal spot on the lunar surface for landing. The ISRO will telecast the landing operations live from 5:20pm on their website and their official YouTube and Facebook channels.
Moon's south pole has frozen water
The mission's primary objective is to explore the Moon's southern polar region, which is believed to contain frozen water or water ice. This could be a potential source of fuel, oxygen, and water for future Moon missions or even a permanent Moon colony. If Chandrayaan-3 lands successfully, it is expected to be functional for two weeks, conducting a series of experiments, including an analysis of the lunar surface's mineral composition using a spectrometer.
