India lands on the moon’s south pole

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India’s spacecraft landed on the moon’s southern pole. Associated Press/Photo by Aijaz Rahi

India on Wednesday became the fourth country in history to successfully land a spacecraft on the lunar surface. The Chandrayaan-3 craft is the first to land on the moon’s south pole. The lander is expected to remain operational for two weeks as it conducts experiments. In 2019, India attempted to land the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft on the moon, but a software glitch caused it to crash. The Russian spacecraft Luna-25 crashed into the moon this weekend while attempting a similar landing.

Why are so many countries trying to get to the moon? Scientists say ice deposits could be on the moon’s south pole. The United States, China, the European Space Agency, and other private companies are planning their own missions to the moon.

Dig deeper: Read a WORLD Magazine report about the death of Apollo 11 crewmember Michael Collins.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.