India on the Moon
On August 23 India became the fourth nation to land a spacecraft safely on the Moon — and the first to land a craft on the Moon’s South Pole! This special space mission began on July 14, 2023. A rocket carrying three spacecraft launched from the island area of Sriharikota, India. No humans were on board that rocket. One spacecraft on the rocket was a rover named Pragyan. Scientists built it to drive around the Moon! A lander named Vikram had the role of carrying Pragyan to the surface of the Moon. A third craft, the orbiter, needed to get both the spacecraft and the lander close to the Moon. The orbiter — with the lander and rover on board — got close to the Moon on August 5. The orbiter flew around and around the Moon for two weeks. On August 17, the lander separated itself from the orbiter to get ready for the big landing! Finally, it came time to touch down on the lunar surface. Scientists in India watched closely as the lander made its way to the Moon’s surface. And… the landing was a success! Experts clapped, cheered, and hugged each other when the spaceship landed safely. People watching on TV and online across India and the world celebrated too!