India Joins USA and Soviet Russia in Landing Spaceships on Moon’s South Pole
New Delhi: In a historic achievement, India has successfully landed its Vikram lander on the moon’s South Pole, making it the fourth country to have achieved this feat. The United States, Soviet Russia, and China are the only other nations that have successfully landed spaceships on the lunar surface, but none have targeted the South Pole region until now. This breakthrough has opened doors for further exploration of this uncharted territory.
Scientists have long speculated about the presence of water on the moon, and recent discoveries have provided evidence to support this theory. During the Apollo missions conducted by NASA between 1961 and 1972, soil samples were collected and analyzed, with no signs of water found. However, in 2008, Brown University researchers reanalyzed those samples using advanced technology and discovered traces of hydrogen within small particles.
Further confirmation came in 2008 when NASA’s Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft detected the presence of water on the moon’s surface. Subsequent studies in 2009 and findings from the Lunar Prospector spacecraft launched in 1998 revealed the existence of water ice beneath the moon’s South Pole. These discoveries have sparked great interest among scientists who believe that these ancient water bodies could hold crucial information about the moon’s formation and the origins of various celestial materials.
The presence of water on the moon’s South Pole has significant implications for future space exploration. If water ice is abundant, it could potentially serve as a source of drinking water for lunar explorers. It could also be utilized in the production of hydrogen fuel and oxygen for breathing, making sustainable long-term missions on the moon a possibility.
However, the utilization of lunar resources is a complex matter due to the regulations surrounding moon ownership. The United Nations Outer Space Treaty, established in 1967, prohibits any country from claiming ownership of the moon. While 27 countries have signed an agreement regarding the exploration and resource utilization on the moon, China and Russia have yet to join. This leaves room for potential commercial practices in the future.
The South Pole region poses several challenges for moon landings, mainly due to its distance from previous landing sites and its treacherous terrain. Deep trenches and craters make it a difficult area to navigate and land spacecraft. This was evident in the failed attempts of the Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2019 and the recent crash of the Russian Luna 25 spacecraft. Despite these setbacks, both the United States and China are planning future missions to the South Pole region.
India’s achievement in successfully landing its Vikram lander on the moon’s South Pole marks a significant milestone in space exploration. With the presence of water confirmed in this region, scientists and space agencies around the world are eagerly planning future missions to unlock the mysteries of the moon’s ancient past and further our understanding of the universe.