Russian rover crashed Sunday – and now India has landed on the moon – NRK Urix – Foreign News & Documentaries

12 people have been to the moon. And they were all Americans, and this annoyed the other great powers of the world. So, we are now in the new moon race.

This time it is not about taking a “giant leap for mankind” (Neil Armstrong, 1969), but about landing an unmanned ship in the southern hemisphere of the planet.

Russia tried on Sunday but crashed. This afternoon it was India’s turn.

Just over 2:30 in the afternoon, Chandrayaan-3 touched down on the moon as planned, after a few nerve-wracking minutes. There was applause in the control room in Bengaluru as the spacecraft approached the lunar landing area.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi watched the plane on the big screen and waved the Indian flag after the successful landing.

– I want to say to people all over the world, in all countries, that India’s successful moon trip is not just India’s. Modi said in a speech after the landing that this belongs to all humanity.

Russian retreat

The failed attempt by Russia was the country’s first lunar mission in nearly 50 years. Luna-25 was supposed to land on the southern hemisphere of the moon, in the polar region.

Luna-25’s plan was, among other things, to search for frozen waters, where traces of ice had been observed in craters, as well as to conduct a number of investigations of ground conditions there.

– This ice could be an important source for further discoveries, says Arvid Bertho-Johansen of the Norwegian Space Centre.

Water can be a resource that can be used to produce oxygen and fuel.

– fuel that could be used on trips back to Earth, or in the solar system to other stations, such as Mars, Johansen says.

Prestige projects

Previously, only the Soviet Union, the United States and China could carry out controlled landings on the moon. India, Israel and Japan have made several failed attempts.

Although Americans landed on the moon with humans more than 50 years ago, making a successful landing there is a very complicated process.

In addition to the equipment having to work perfectly, the timing has to be right.

And although there is a lot of curiosity and opportunities for research in the projects, there is no doubt that there is also a large part of the prestige that drives the great powers.