Google celebrates the first ever landing on the moon’s south pole. The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota Range, Andhra Pradesh, India on July 14, 2023 and successfully touched down near the lunar south pole region on August 23, 2023. Moon landings are no easy feat. Previously, only the United States, China, and the former Soviet Union have completed soft landings on the moon — but no country has made it to the southern pole region before now.
The moon’s south pole has been an area of heightened interest for space explorers as they suspected the existence of ice deposits located inside permanently shadowed craters. Chandrayaan-3 has now confirmed this prediction to be true! This ice offers the potential of critical resources for future astronauts such as air, water, and even hydrogen rocket fuel.
And what were Chandrayaan-3’s first thoughts after achieving this historic feat?: “India, I reached my destination and you too!” Back on Earth, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated scientists from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) stating, “The success belongs to all of humanity… It will help moon missions by other countries in the future. I’m confident that all countries in the world can all aspire for the moon and beyond. The sky is not the limit!”