Tag: CHANDRAYAAN-3: Explore the Moon’s South Pole

Space CHANDRAYAAN-3: Explore the Moon's South Pole Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-up to Chandrayaan-2 mission (2019), which partially failed after its lander and rover couldn't execute a soft-landing on Moon. Landing site of Chandrayaan-3 is more or less the same as Chandrayaan-2: near south pole of moon at 70 degrees latitude. If successful, Chandrayaan-3 will become world's first mission to soft-land near lunar south pole. Moon's south pole has certain advantages including: Its craters have been untouched by sunlight for billions of years offering an undisturbed record of solar system's origins. Its permanently shadowed craters are estimated to hold enough water that could potentially be used for future missions. Its positional advantages make it a suitable pit stop for future space exploration. It has traces of hydrogen, ammonia, methane, sodium, mercury, and silver making it an untapped source of essential resources. All previous spacecraft to have landed on Moon have landed in equatorial region. It is easier and safer to land near equator. Terrain and temperature are more hospitable and conducive for a long and sustained operation of instruments. Sunlight is present in abundance, at least on the side facing earth.