A rocket carrying India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft lifts off on July 14, 2023. — AFPBENGALURU, India: India on Wednesday became the first nation to land a craft near the Moon’s south pole, a historic triumph for the world’s most populous nation and its ambitious, cut-price space programme. The unmanned Chandrayaan-3, which means “Mooncraft” in Sanskrit, touched down at 6:04 pm India time (1234 GMT) as mission control technicians cheered wildly and embraced their colleagues. “India’s successful moon mission is not just India’s alone,” he added. “This success belongs to all of humanity.” The Chandrayaan-3 mission has captivated public attention since launching nearly six weeks ago in front of thousands of cheering spectators.
