India's rover Pragyaan has taken its first steps on the lunar surface, making history as the nation became the first to land near the Moon's south pole. Pragyaan deployed from the Vikram lander on Thursday, a day after the successful touchdown on the Moon. As the rover roves across the Moon, it will imprint India's logo on the surface with each step. Equipped with scientific instruments, Pragyaan will now explore the terrain, gathering crucial data and images to send back to Earth for analysis. This accomplishment puts India in an elite club with the US, Soviet Union, and China as only the fourth nation to successfully soft-land on the Moon. With Vikram and Pragyaan, India has now left its mark on the Moon.

The real work now begins for India's landmark third moon mission Chandrayaan 3. ISRO will operate the rover and use its payloads to study lunar soil, rocks, seismic activity, and plasma density in the uncharted region. Chandrayaan 3 aims to be the first mission to explore the South Pole for ice and minerals. The rover will also conduct quantitative and qualitative analysis of the lunar surface, measure seismic activity, and study lunar dynamics and plasma density. The systems are designed to function for one lunar day which is 14 days on earth.

India made history by becoming the first nation to land a spacecraft on the south pole of the Moon with its Chandrayaan-3 mission. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieved this milestone feat on Wednesday, with the Vikram lander successfully touching down in the hazardous lunar region. Shortly after, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called ISRO chief Somanath from Johannesburg to congratulate him, noting how his name is fittingly linked to the Moon. Video of their conversation shows Modi praising the team and conveying his wish to greet them personally soon for this historic accomplishment, which further cements India's position as a space pioneer.

India has accomplished a historic first by landing its Chandrayaan-3 mission in the unexplored south pole region of the Moon. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully soft-landed the Vikram lander on Thursday, making India only the fourth nation to achieve this milestone after the US, Russia, and China. Celebrations erupted across India as Prime Minister Modi hailed the scientists whose persistence delivered success after the crash of Chandrayaan-2 in 2019. The mission's Pragyaan rover will now study the lunar surface and send back vital data about the south pole, where landing is challenging due to uneven terrain. This breakthrough comes days after Russia's failed Luna-25 Moon landing attempt.

“Fifteen minutes of terror” is what former ISRO chief K Sivan had termed the landing phase of Chandrayaan-2 when ISRO aborted the first attempt to launch the Chandrayaan-2 mission. India will make another attempt at a lunar landing later today with the Chandrayaan-3 mission, four years after the partial failure of Chandrayaan-2. The Vikram lander will initiate its calculated descent sequence around 5:45pm IST, a tense 15-minute process. If successful, Vikram will touch down near the lunar South Pole, deploying the Pragyaan rover onto the surface and making India the fourth nation to operate a rover on the moon. Chandrayaan-3 aims to accomplish what its predecessor could not and firmly establish India's lunar exploration capabilities. 

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) tweeted it is ready to initiate the Automatic Landing Sequence for the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission on Wednesday. ISRO said the landing module will fire throttleable engines for powered descent upon receiving the ALS command around 17:44 IST, with the soft landing on the moon's south pole scheduled for around 18:04 IST. The mission team will closely monitor the sequential execution leading up to the targeted Vikram lander touchdown at 17:45 IST. If successful, Chandrayaan-3 will be the first ever spacecraft to soft-land in the lunar south pole region, achieving a historic milestone for India's space programme. ISRO expressed confidence in the landing systems ahead of the critical lunar arrival manoeuvres.

India eagerly awaits the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft's scheduled moon landing attempt on Wednesday following Russia's recent failed south pole touchdown bid. The ISRO mission aims to be the first to successfully land in the uncharted lunar polar region thought to contain water ice vital for future moon bases. After the disappointment of 2019, Chandrayaan-3 signifies India's perseverance and scientific capabilities. Across the country, people are praying for success, students are watching in schools, and enthusiasts have organised viewing parties. The outcome of this historic soft landing try will be a moment of national pride and further India's space exploration goals.

India is attempting a historic first landing of a spacecraft on the moon's south pole, a challenging mission that could yield new insights on lunar water ice. While the existence of frozen water on the moon is known, its accessibility and potential for future mining and use as a resource remain unclear. A successful soft landing in the rugged, uncharted south pole region could provide vital data on the composition and distribution of this water ice. Chandrayaan-3 marks India's second moon landing attempt and would demonstrate complex landing capabilities. The mission aims to advance the country's space programme while expanding scientific knowledge of a resource that could aid future lunar colonies and deep space travel.

India's Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission achieved a key milestone on Thursday, August 17, as the Vikram lander module successfully separated from the spacecraft's propulsion module. The lander is designed to soft-land on the moon's surface and deploy the Pragyan rover to analyse the lunar soil. A successful landing would make India the fourth country after the US, Russia, and China to achieve the feat. However, India would be the first to land on the unexplored lunar South Pole. The separation of the Vikram lander propels Chandrayaan-3 forward in its journey of lunar exploration.