India readied Wednesday to become the first nation to land a spacecraft on the Moon's south pole, days after a Russian probe crashed in the same region.
The latest attempted Moon landing is a historic moment for the world's most populous nation, as it rapidly closes in on milestones set by global space powers.
Chandrayaan-3, which means "Mooncraft" in Sanskrit, is scheduled to touch down shortly after 6:00 pm India time (1230 GMT) near the little-explored lunar south pole.
"India reaches for the Moon", The Times of India front-page headline read Wednesday, with the hoped-for lunar landing dominating local news. "It's D-Day for Moon Mission", The Hindustan Times said.
A previous Indian effort failed in 2019, and the latest attempt comes just days after Russia's first Moon mission in almost 50 years, destined for the same region, crashed on the lunar surface.
But former Indian space chief K. Sivan said the latest photos transmitted back home by the lander gave every indication the final leg of the voyage would succeed.
"It is giving some encouragement that we will be able to achieve the landing mission without any problem," he told AFP on Monday.
- 'Confidence' -
Sivan added that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had made corrections after the failure of four years ago, when scientists lost contact with the previous lunar module moments before its slated landing.
"Chandrayaan-3 is going to go with more ruggedness," he said. "We have confidence, and we expect that everything will go smoothly."
The mission was launched nearly six weeks ago in front of thousands of cheering spectators, but took much longer to reach the Moon than those of the Apollo missions in the 1960s and 1970s, which arrived in a matter of days.
India is using rockets much less powerful than those the United States used back then, meaning the probe must orbit Earth several times to gain speed before embarking on its month-long lunar trajectory.
The spacecraft's lander, Vikram, which means "valour" in Sanskrit, detached from its propulsion module last week and has been sending back images of the moon's surface since entering lunar orbit on August 5.
A day ahead of the landing, the ISRO said on social media the landing was proceeding on schedule and that its mission control complex was "buzzed with energy and excitement".
"Smooth sailing is continuing," the agency posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
India has a comparatively low-budget aerospace programme, but one that has grown considerably in size and momentum since it first sent a probe to orbit the Moon in 2008.
The latest mission comes with a price tag of $74.6 million -- far lower than those of other countries, and a testament to India's frugal space engineering.
Experts say India can keep costs low by copying and adapting existing space technology, and thanks to an abundance of highly skilled engineers who earn a fraction of their foreign counterparts' wages.
In 2014, India became the first Asian nation to put a satellite into orbit around Mars and is slated to launch a three-day manned mission into Earth's orbit by next year.
- 'Very, very important' -
Sivan, the former ISRO chief, said India's efforts to explore the relatively unmapped lunar south pole would make a "very, very important" contribution to scientific knowledge.
Only Russia, the United States and China have previously achieved a c
ontrolled landing on the lunar surface.
Russia launched its own lunar probe earlier in August -- its first in nearly half a century.
If successful, it would have beaten Chandrayaan-3 by a matter of days to become the first mission of any nation to make a controlled landing around the lunar south pole.
But the Luna-25 probe crash-landed on Saturday after an unspecified incident as it was preparing for descent.
Punishing sanctions since the outset of the Ukraine war have affected Russia's space industry, which has also been beleaguered by corruption and a lack of innovation and partnerships.
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Artificial Intelligence Analysis
Defense Industry Analyst:
8/10
This article is highly relevant to defense industry analysts, as it provides an in-depth overview of Indias space exploration efforts in the field of lunar landings. This mission is highly significant, as it is the first time India will attempt a successful landing of a spacecraft on the Moons south pole, after a Russian probe crashed in the same region. It highlights the nations rapid progress in the space industry, as well as the corrections made since their failure in 2019. It provides an important glimpse into the state of the defense and space industry in India and the potential implications for the sector in the future.
Stock Market Analyst:
6/10
This article is of moderate relevance to stock market analysts, as it provides an overview of Indias space exploration mission and its potential impacts on the defense and space industry. However, it does not provide much insight into the implications for the stock market, as the focus of the article is primarily on the missions technical aspects and its potential implications for the defense and space industry.
General Industry Analyst:
8/10
This article is highly relevant to general industry analysts, as it provides an in-depth overview of Indias space exploration efforts in the field of lunar landings. This mission is highly significant, as it is the first time India will attempt a successful landing of a spacecraft on the Moons south pole, after a Russian probe crashed in the same region. It highlights the nations rapid progress in the space industry, as well as the corrections made since their failure in 2019. It provides an important glimpse into the state of the defense and space industry in India and the potential implications for other industries in the future.
Analyst Summary
:
India is preparing to make history by becoming the first nation to land a spacecraft on the Moons south pole, days after a Russian probe crashed in the same region. The lander, named Chandrayaan 3, is scheduled to touch down shortly after 6:00pm India time. This mission is highly significant, as it highlights the nations rapid progress in the space industry, as well as the corrections made since their failure in 2019. It is of particular importance to defense and space industry analysts, as it provides an important glimpse into the state of the defense and space industry in India and the potential implications for the sector in the future. It is also of moderate relevance to stock market analysts, as it provides an overview of Indias space exploration mission and its potential impacts on the defense and space industry, although it does not provide much insight into the implications for the stock market.
The latest attempted Moon landing is a significant milestone in the worlds space exploration efforts, and is reflective of the steady progress made in the space and defense industry over the past 25 years. This includes significant events such as the United States successful Apollo missions in the 1960s and 70s, and more recent developments such as the launch of the Chandrayaan 3 in India.
Investigative
Question:
- 1. How will the success of Indias mission influence other countries space exploration efforts?
- 2. What were the specific improvements made to the Chandrayaan 3 mission to ensure its success?
- 3.
What are the potential economic impacts of Indias successful mission?4. What are the implications of the mission for the advancement of space technology?
5. How will Indias mission contribute to the understanding of the Moons south pole region?
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