INCREDIBLE footage showed the moment India’s lunar spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 deployed its rover on the moon for the first time.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) released a new video of the rover which will now spend two weeks gathering rock samples, images and data.
Incredible footage showed the moment the small rover, Vikram, rolled out on the moon for the first timeAFP
A simulated image showed the landing of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the south pole of the MoonRex
The country has made history by becoming the first nation to land near the Moon’s South Pole with its Chandrayaan-3 craft.
The success makes India the fourth country to have achieved a soft landing on the Moon.
But also saw the country win in a tense space race with Russia to be the first to land on the moon’s South Pole – previously uncharted territory.
Russia’s own lunar spacecraft spun out of control and crashed into the moon after a problem preparing for prelanding orbit – putting an end to their first lunar mission in 47 years.
The Chandrayaan-3, which means “mooncraft” in Sanskrit, launched on July 14 and entered lunar orbit on August 5.
The nail-biting moment the spacecraft landed was live-streamed around the world and as it touched down, the command room was filled with triumphant cheers.
But a newly-released clip showed the moment the small rover, named Vikram, rolled out of the lunar lander to begin its fact-finding mission.
Pictures were also taken from the Chandrayaan-3 just before it landed safely on the moon’s surface after a previous lunar mission failed dramatically.
The Chandrayaan-2 attempt in 2019 crashed into the lunar surface after scientists lost contact with the second moon module moments before its planned landing.
Chandrayaan-2 wasn’t a complete failure, however, as it sent an orbiter to the moon – which remains active today.
The ISRO had made corrections after the failure of four years ago, Sivan said.
He added: “Chandrayaan-3 is going to go with more ruggedness.”
CRASHING OUT
Last week, Russia’s first moon mission in nearly 50 years ended in catastrophe after its robot spacecraft crashed into the moon’s surface.
The 800kg probe smashed into pieces and plunged from orbit in a fresh humiliation for Putin and his team of boffins.
The Russian Space Agency lost contact with the craft after reports of an “abnormal situation”.
Russia had hoped that the robot would spend a year collecting samples of rock and dust.
The craft was due to land on the lunar surface Monday.
Failure of the mission personally ordered by Putin underscores the decline of Russia’s space power since the glory days of Cold War.
Moscow was the first to launch a satellite to orbit the Earth – Sputnik 1, in 1957.
And trailblazing Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to travel into space in 1961.
While the US, the former Soviet Union, and China have all achieved a soft landing near the moon’s equator – none have led successful missions to the lunar south pole.
Indian Space Research Organization scientists celebrated as the spacecraft completed its landingRex
The Sun