India’s latest space mission, Chandrayaan-3, has become the first space mission to land near the south pole of the Moon.
Chandrayaan-3 becomes India’s second lunar landing mission, after Chandrayaan-1 in 2008. The mission will also deploy a rover to explore the lunar surface.
“The sky is not the limit,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a speech to the ISRO control room. “The country will always remember us for this moment.”
Modi added that the success of the mission should push Indians towards a brighter future.
“This day shows how we can learn from our failures to eventually succeed,” he said, referencing earlier failed missions to land on the Moon.
The ISRO has said that Chandrayaan-3 will be a “stepping stone” for future lunar missions, including a human landing.
The mission is being closely watched by other spacefaring nations, as it could pave the way for future international cooperation on lunar exploration.
