Global Breaking News - Monday, April 29, 2024

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India became the world's first nation to reach the South pole of the moon on August 23rd.

India is now on the moon.

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Mission control erupted in cheers as the Chandrayaan-3 landed in a part of the moon where no country has ever landed before. 

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For India, it's a matter of national pride. 

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It happened just three days after a similar mission from Russia failed.

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It's a blow to the Kremlin because they are trying to show through this mission that Russia is again a superpower. 

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The lunar South Pole is significant because the expected presence of ice could support future human settlements. 

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Here's why Moscow and New Delhi were in a race to get there and how their missions were not just about science but also about politics.

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India's Chandrayaan-3 which means moon vehicle in Sanskrit blasted off from earth on July 14th.

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Since then, the spacecraft made several maneuvers around the earth and has been orbiting the moon to prepare for a landing. 

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Russia launched its Lunar 25 less than a month later. It took a much faster and more direct route to the moon and was projected to reach the surface first on August 21. The South Pole is strategic because the expected presence of ice could provide fuel, oxygen and drinking water, making it a potential site for mining and human settlements. 

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But experts say a smooth landing is extremely challenging.

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That's because the area has much tougher terrain compared to other parts of the moon.

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It is bumpy littered with craters and has limited sunlight.

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The module has begun its descent. 

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India tried but failed to reach there four years ago and finally succeeded on August 23.

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This success belongs to all of humanity and it will help... ...