Journalists watch a live animation as Chadrayaan-3 descends to the moon. Photo byAijaz Rahi / Associated Press
India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), successfully landed its unmanned Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft near the moon’s south pole on Wednesday, August 23, 2023. The landing comes on the heels of a failed Russian attempt just days earlier. This is the first time that any country has landed a spacecraft in this region of the moon.
Journalists watch a live animation as Chadrayaan-3 descends to the moon. Photo: Aijaz Rahi / Associated Press
India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), successfully landed its unmanned Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft near the moon’s south pole on Wednesday, August 23, 2023. The landing comes on the heels of a failed Russian attempt just days earlier. This is the first time that any country has landed a spacecraft in this region of the moon.
The South Pole is a particularly important area for exploration because it is thought to contain significant amounts of water ice. This water ice could be a valuable resource for future human missions to the moon, as it could be used for drinking water, making rocket fuel, and supporting other life-support systems. These elements are considered essential for any attempt to create a long-term research outpost. The South Pole is a unique environment that is unlike any other place on Earth. Exploring this region could help us to learn more about the moon’s geology, history, and environment. This knowledge could be used to develop new technologies and to plan future missions to the moon and beyond.
In addition to water ice, the South Pole is also home to a variety of other interesting geological features, including permanently shadowed craters. These craters are never exposed to sunlight, which means that they could contain ancient organic molecules that have been preserved for billions of years. These organic molecules could be the building blocks of life, and their discovery could shed light on the origins of life on Earth and other planets.
The Chadrayaan-3 mission was launched on July 14 from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. Photo tweeted by ISRO
The South Pole is also a potential source of other resources, such as helium-3, which could be used to generate clean energy. The development of these resources could help to make human exploration of the moon more sustainable and affordable.
NASA Crew-6 on Pad 39A Feb 2023 Photo Credit: TJ Waller for FMN
The latest team of astronauts preparing for liftoff onboard the NASA SpaceX Crew-7 mission have landed at the Kennedy Space Center, as they commence the final stage of quarantine before their voyage to the International Space Station (ISS). The countdown has officially commenced, with an array of activities and events unfolding throughout the launch week.
A ULA Delta IV Heavy creates a beautiful vapor ring as it climbs through the night sky. Photo by Mark Stone/FMN
By Mark Stone
United Launch Alliance, a private spaceflight contractor, successfully sent a classified government satellite into orbit on Thursday, June 22, 2023. The launch came one day after a delay due to a faulty piece of ground equipment. The mission to deploy the satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office finally lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) Launch Complex 37 at 5:18 AM EDT.
The mission, NROL-68, carries a crucial national security satellite that will provide vital information from space to America’s government officials, intelligence analysts, and military. The US government says the satellite will also be used to support worldwide humanitarian missions. Even though the exact type and capabilities of the satellite are unknown, some observers believe the launch configuration of the Delta IV rocket suggests an Orion class satellite. Orion spy satellites are the newest class of signal-gathering intelligence satellites and are among the largest in orbit. The main antenna of an Orion-class satellite spans the length of a football field.
