India has become the first country to reach the southern polar region of the moon in one piece and only the fourth country ever to land on the moon.
A lander named Vikram and a rover named Pragyan landed safely yesterday on the surface of the moon. India’s mission will explore an area of the moon that has yet to be visited and has frozen water that could be a resource for future missions.
The landing, just days after a failed Russian mission, was broadcast live to tens of millions of people on Indian news channels. “This is an unprecedented moment,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. “This is the moment for new, developing India.”
Future missions: Japan plans to launch a mission on Saturday that would orbit the moon and try to land near Shioli crater.
