{"id":33035,"date":"2023-08-23T19:50:43","date_gmt":"2023-08-23T19:50:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2023\/08\/23\/india-lands-a-spacecraft-near-moons-south-pole-joining-an-elite-club\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:35:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:35:43","slug":"india-lands-a-spacecraft-near-moons-south-pole-joining-an-elite-club","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/space\/2023\/08\/23\/india-lands-a-spacecraft-near-moons-south-pole-joining-an-elite-club\/","title":{"rendered":"India lands a spacecraft near moon\u2019s south pole, joining an elite club"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">India became the first country to land a spacecraft near the moon\u2019s south pole on Wednesday \u2014 a historic voyage to uncharted territory that scientists believe could hold vital reserves of frozen water, and a technological triumph for the world\u2019s most populous nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After a failed attempt to land on the moon in 2019, India now joins the United States, the Soviet Union and China as only the fourth country to achieve this milestone. A lander with a rover inside touched down on the lunar surface at 6:04 p.m. local time, sparking celebrations across India, including in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru, where space scientists watching the landing erupted in cheers and applause.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/space\/2023\/08\/22\/failed-lunar-mission-reflects-deep-problems-with-russia-space-industry\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP23234614199362.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Failed lunar mission reflects deep problems with Russia space industry<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">\u201cIt raises doubts about Russia\u2019s claims of a great power status in the eyes of the global community.&quot;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The successful mission showcases India\u2019s rising standing as a technology and space powerhouse and dovetails with the image that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to project: an ascendant country asserting its place among the global elite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIndia is now on the moon. India has reached the south pole of the moon \u2014 no other country has achieved that. We are witnessing history,\u201d Modi said as he waved the Indian tri-colored flag while watching the landing from South Africa, where he is participating in the BRICS nations summit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The lunar rover will slide down a flap from the lander within hours or a day and conduct experiments, including an analysis of the mineral composition of the lunar surface, said S. Somnath, chairman of the state-run Indian Space Research Organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2142\" height=\"1600\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP23235677476315.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-112658\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP23235677476315.jpg.jpg 2142w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP23235677476315.jpg.jpg?resize=300,224 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP23235677476315.jpg.jpg?resize=768,574 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP23235677476315.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,765 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP23235677476315.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1147 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP23235677476315.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1530 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2142px) 100vw, 2142px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This image from video provided by the Indian Space Research Organisation shows the surface of the moon as the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft prepares for landing on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. India became the first country to land a spacecraft near the moon\u2019s south pole, which scientists believe could hold vital reserves of frozen water. (ISRO via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mission, which began more than a month ago at an estimated cost of $75 million, is expected to last another two weeks. Somnath said that India would next attempt a manned lunar mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nuclear-armed India grew to become <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/india-government-modi-pandemics-business-a9814763783564da26a43edab8fc3883\">the world\u2019s fifth-largest economy<\/a> last year, and the success of the lunar mission will likely help Modi\u2019s popularity ahead of a crucial general election next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">India\u2019s success comes just days after <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-moon-luna25-spacecraft-mission-33c9884c907998f06bf9562be6d47445\">Russia\u2019s Luna-25<\/a>, which was aiming for the same lunar region, spun into an uncontrolled orbit and crashed. It would have been the first successful Russian lunar landing after a gap of 47 years. Russia\u2019s head of the state-controlled space corporation Roscosmos <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-moon-crash-luna-25-roscosmos-space-228fc0caf6f84b4a2c7c8484cfd337be\">attributed the failure<\/a> to the lack of expertise due to the long break in lunar research that followed the last Soviet mission to the moon in 1976.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Modi\u2019s efforts to revitalize India\u2019s global standing \u2014 and to finally shake off the legacy of British colonialization \u2014 has resonated with many Indians. The moon landing was seen by many as further proof that their country is a rising, modern superpower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Excited and anxious people across India crowded around televisions in offices, shops, restaurants and homes. Thousands prayed Tuesday for the success of the mission with oil lamps on the river banks, temples and religious places, including the holy city of Varanasi in northern India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the lander approached the lunar surface, dozens of people in a government-run planetarium started praying with folded hands. They switched to cheering and clapping once the lander touched down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A man waved a banner reading \u2018\u2019The Moon in India\u2019s arms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shrini Singh, a New Delhi resident, said she got goosebumps. \u2018\u2019It\u2019s a very happy moment \u2026 you can see the energy. It\u2019s beyond words.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mitakshi Sinha, a student, said the successful mission motivated her. \u201cAnd now I also want to be part of ISRO,\u201d she said, referring to the country\u2019s space agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"5616\" height=\"3744\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP23235467660670.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-112661\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP23235467660670.jpg.jpg 5616w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP23235467660670.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP23235467660670.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP23235467660670.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP23235467660670.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP23235467660670.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5616px) 100vw, 5616px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Schoolchildren celebrate the successful landing of spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 on the moon, in a school in Guwahati, India, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. India has landed a spacecraft near the moon&#8217;s south pole, an unchartered territory that scientists believe could hold vital reserves of frozen water and precious elements, as the country cements its growing prowess in space and technology. (AP Photo\/Anupam Nath)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">India will host next month\u2019s G-20 Summit, and Modi is expected to use the event to spotlight the country\u2019s growing geopolitical clout. Even as it maintains historic ties with Russia, the U.S. and other Western nations continue to woo India, whom they see as a critical bulwark against China\u2019s growing influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Accolades poured in from around the world to acknowledge India\u2019s emergence as a modern space power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NASA Administrator Bill Nelson congratulated India on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying &#8220;We\u2019re glad to be your partner on this mission!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIncredible!\u201d European Space Agency\u2019s director general Josef Aschbacher tweeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">India\u2019s Chandrayaan-3 \u2014 \u201cmoon craft\u201d in Sanskrit \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/india-lunar-mission-space-launch-d67a041cb93df070d191523680203653\">took off from a launchpad in Sriharikota<\/a> in southern India on July 14.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many countries and private companies are interested in the south pole region because permanently shadowed craters may hold frozen water that could help future astronaut missions use it as a potential source of drinking water or to make rocket fuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The six-wheeled lander and rover module of Chandrayaan-3 is configured with payloads that will provide data to the scientific community on the properties of lunar soil and rocks, including chemical and elemental compositions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">India\u2019s previous attempt to land a robotic spacecraft near the moon\u2019s little-explored south pole <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/8533918d2dd348d6819057968182c6f4\">ended in failure in 2019<\/a>. It entered the lunar orbit but lost touch with its lander, which crashed while making its final descent to deploy a rover to search for signs of water. According to a failure analysis report submitted to the ISRO, the crash was caused by a software glitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Water deposits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The $140-million mission in 2019 was intended to study permanently shadowed moon craters that are thought to contain water deposits and were confirmed by India\u2019s Chandrayaan-1 orbiter mission in 2008.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But India\u2019s space program has been steadily advancing for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Active since the 1960s, India has launched satellites for itself and other countries, and successfully put one in orbit around Mars in 2014. India is planning its first mission to the International Space Station next year, in collaboration with the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The anticipation for a successful landing rose after Russia\u2019s failed attempt and as India\u2019s regional rival China, which landed on the moon in 2013, reaches for new milestones in space. In May, China launched a three-person crew for its orbiting space station and hopes to put <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/china-space-program-moon-368d45fa997307ae2c94bcd7e066e2b4\">astronauts on the moon<\/a> before the end of the decade. Relations between India and China have plunged since deadly border clashes in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Numerous countries and private companies are racing to successfully land a spacecraft on the lunar surface. In April, a Japanese company\u2019s spacecraft <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/moon-landing-spacecraft-japan-uae-555ec67e1150f8008b65243e3a6179d2\">apparently crashed<\/a> while attempting to land on the moon. An Israeli nonprofit tried to achieve a similar feat in 2019, but its <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/technology-the-moon-israel-middle-east-international-news-7b7a46420b114036bff98b1e87b83306\">spacecraft was destroyed on impact<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/home\/2023\/05\/17\/reports-defense-news-correspondent-arrested-in-india\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Vivek-Raghuvanshi-wide.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Reports: Defense News correspondent arrested in India<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The arrest drew an immediate condemnation from the publisher of Defense News.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Japan plans to launch a lunar lander to the moon over the weekend as part of an X-ray telescope mission, and two U.S. companies also are vying to put landers on the moon by the end of the year, one of them at the south pole. In the coming years, NASA plans to land astronauts at the lunar south pole, taking advantage of the frozen water in craters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pallava Bagla, a science writer and co-author of books on India\u2019s space exploration, said the Russian failure days earlier did not put India off. He also said lessons learned from India\u2019s failed mission four years ago were incorporated and a flawless mission was executed on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIndians didn\u2019t get derailed. They continued the journey with strength and confidence that paid off,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Country joins the U.S., the Soviet Union and China as only nations to achieve this milestone. Russia\u2019s Luna-25 mission ended with a crash days earlier.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":112655,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":37,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["news"],"primary_category":"news"},"4":{"categories":["daily-news-roundup","news","your-air-force","newsletters"],"primary_category":"daily-news-roundup"}}},"categories":[7,29,13,37],"tags":[],"coauthors":[7746,7748],"class_list":["post-33035","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-battlefield-tech","category-home","category-industry","category-space"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"GBOVF5V65NC4LOIU4PUYV3NHFI","arc_canonical_url":"\/battlefield-tech\/space\/2023\/08\/23\/india-lands-a-spacecraft-near-moons-south-pole-joining-an-elite-club\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>India lands a spacecraft near moon\u2019s south pole, joining an elite club - C4ISRNet<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Country joins the U.S., the Soviet Union and China as only nations to achieve this milestone. Russia\u2019s Luna-25 mission ended with a crash days earlier.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"India lands a spacecraft near moon\u2019s south pole, joining an elite club\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Country joins the U.S., the Soviet Union and China as only nations to achieve this milestone. Russia\u2019s Luna-25 mission ended with a crash days earlier.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/space\/2023\/08\/23\/india-lands-a-spacecraft-near-moons-south-pole-joining-an-elite-club\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"C4ISRNet\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-08-23T19:50:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T18:35:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ashok Sharma, Krutika Pathi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ashok Sharma, Krutika Pathi\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/space\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/23\\\/india-lands-a-spacecraft-near-moons-south-pole-joining-an-elite-club\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/space\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/23\\\/india-lands-a-spacecraft-near-moons-south-pole-joining-an-elite-club\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"India lands a spacecraft near moon\u2019s south pole, joining an elite club\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2023-08-23T19:50:43+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T18:35:43+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/space\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/23\\\/india-lands-a-spacecraft-near-moons-south-pole-joining-an-elite-club\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1294,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/space\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/23\\\/india-lands-a-spacecraft-near-moons-south-pole-joining-an-elite-club\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP23235454472207.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Battlefield Tech\",\n\t                \"Home\",\n\t                \"Industry\",\n\t                \"Space\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/space\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/23\\\/india-lands-a-spacecraft-near-moons-south-pole-joining-an-elite-club\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/space\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/23\\\/india-lands-a-spacecraft-near-moons-south-pole-joining-an-elite-club\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/space\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/23\\\/india-lands-a-spacecraft-near-moons-south-pole-joining-an-elite-club\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"India lands a spacecraft near moon\u2019s south pole, joining an elite club - 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