India makes history: Chandrayaan-3 lands near Moon's south pole
Chandrayaan-3 has successfully landed on the Moon! The mission has notched several milestones with its safe touchdown, after a 40-day journey. India is now the first country to land near the Moon's south pole. The country also joins the coveted list of nations—including the US, Russia, and China—to have accomplished a controlled lunar landing. The mission is now set to start exploring the Moon.
Take a look at ISRO's post
What's next for the mission?
With a safe landing, Chandrayaan-3 has completed one of its three core objectives. Now the mission will focus on roving on the lunar surface and performing in-situ scientific experiments. The Vikram lander will soon deploy the Pragyan rover. Following that, the lander and rover will commence their lunar investigations via their onboard payloads. The mission will explore the lunar surface for two weeks.
The lander is carrying a payload from NASA
The lander is equipped with four payloads, including one from NASA called the LASER Retroreflector Array (LRA), which will provide insights into the dynamics of the Moon system. Among the other interesting investigations, the lander will scan for moonquakes, measure the Moon's surface temperature, and assess variations of plasma (ions and electrons) near the lunar surface and how it changes with time.
The mission will probe the lunar south pole
In contrast, the Pragyan rover is carrying two scientific instruments. The rover will be able to estimate the elemental composition of the lunar rocks and soil at the landing site via its onboard spectrometer. The other payload would enable it to perform qualitative and quantitative elemental analysis of the surface of the Moon. The mission will soon probe the relatively unchartered lunar south pole.
