THE moon is the closest major destination to earth, making it one of the most popular targets for space exploration missions.
In recent years, India has focused on setting foot on the moon and mars, with the deployment of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft standing as proof of its strong commitment to its space ambitions.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) released the first images of the moon from the lunar lander after entering orbit on Saturday, August 5.
Chandrayaan-3, which means moon vehicle in Sanskrit, was launched on July 14.
The spacecraft will attempt to land on the moon’s surface on August 23.
Upon landing, the six-wheeled rover will collect data and conduct a series of scientific experiments to learn more about the moon’s composition, with all the information to be sent back to earth for analysis.
So far, only the United States, Russia, and China achieved a successful lunar landing, with India getting closer to being the fourth nation to do so.
If successful, the ambitious mission will make India the first country to perform a controlled “soft landing” near the south pole and the 12th country to send spacecraft to the moon.
