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India is set to attempt landing an uncrewed probe on the Moon’s unexplored South Pole on Wednesday, a mission that if successful would cement the country’s place as an international power in space exploration.
The $75mn Chandrayaan-3 mission, which launched last month, is due to make a controlled landing in the evening India time. If it succeeds, India will become the fourth country to land a craft on the Moon, after the US, China and Soviet Union, and the first to reach its South Pole.
The high-profile mission comes days after a Russian attempt to land on the Moon — its first since 1976 under the Soviet Union — ended in failure. The uncrewed Luna-25 spacecraft spun out of control and crashed into the lunar surface on Sunday.
Moscow and New Delhi have been racing to become the first to explore the Moon’s South Pole. Scientists have said the region is of particular interest because it could contain water, which would make it crucial to any ambitions to inhabit the Moon.
Wednesday’s mission is India’s second attempt after scientists lost contact with the Chandrayaan-2 probe upon descent in 2019. A rover is due to conduct a series of experiments on the Moon’s surface.
A landing would represent not just a scientific achievement but also a geopolitical boost for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has sought to portray India — now the world’s most populous country — as a rising superpower ahead of national elections next year.
If successful, “this is going to be a major milestone from our point of view”, said Nambi Narayanan, a former scientist with the Indian Space Research Organisation. “If it has brought [benefits] to the United States or Russia or China, it’s going to bring them to us also.”
The ISRO, founded in 1969, has fostered a reputation for running a low-cost but effective programme that has helped build out the country’s meteorological and telecommunications capabilities and delivered useful developmental tools. India is also home to a fast-growing private space sector that has drawn eager investment.
But the country’s extraterrestrial ventures have acquired renewed urgency in recent years as China has rapidly developed its own space programme.
In 2019, China became the first country to land on the far side of the Moon and this year sent a civilian into orbit. It is preparing for a manned lunar mission by 2030.
Relations between the countries have deteriorated sharply since deadly clashes in 2020 along their shared Himalayan border, and Indian analysts have highlighted the importance of space as a future military arena.
Modi is currently in South Africa for the annual Brics summit alongside Chinese president Xi Jinping.
A successful landing would be a significant boon for India’s space ambitions, Narayanan said. “We have learned from others and we have our own intelligence in making things work for us.”
