India has landed its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the moon, becoming only the fourth nation ever to accomplish such a feat.

The mission could cement India’s status as a global superpower in space. Previously, only the United States, China and the former Soviet Union have completed soft landings on the lunar surface.

Chandrayaan-3’s landing site is also closer to the moon’s south pole than any other spacecraft in history has ventured. The south pole region is considered an area of key scientific and strategic interest for spacefaring nations, as scientists believe the region to be home to water ice deposits.

The water, frozen in shadowy craters, could be converted into rocket fuel or even drinking water for future crewed missions.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently in South Africa for the BRICS Summit, watched the landing virtually and shared broadcasted remarks on the livestream.

Just a few days ago, on Aug. 19, Russia’s Luna 25 spacecraft crashed into the moon after its engines misfired, ending the country’s first lunar landing attempt in 47 years.

As Chandrayaan-3 approached the moon, its cameras captured photographs, including one taken Aug. 20 that India’s space agency shared Tuesday. The image offers a close-up of the moon’s dusty gray terrain.

India’s lunar lander consists of three parts: a lander, rover and propulsion module, which provided the spacecraft all the thrust required to traverse the 384,400-kilometer void between the moon and Earth.

The lander, called Vikram, completed the precision maneuvers required to make a soft touchdown on the lunar surface after it was ejected from the propulsion module. Tucked inside is Pragyan, a small, six-wheeled rover that will deploy from the lander by rolling down a ramp.

Vikram used its on-board thrusters to carefully orient itself as it approached the lunar surface, and it slowly throttled down its engines for a touchdown just after 6 p.m. IST Wednesday.

The Indian Space Research Organization, or ISRO, later confirmed it had established two-way communication with the spacecraft and shared the first images of the surface captured during the lander’s final descent.

With the success of Chandrayaan-3, India became the second country to land a spacecraft on the moon in the 21st century after China, which has put three landers on the lunar surface since 2013 — including the first to touch down on the moon’s far side.

(SD-Agencies)

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【直播】zhíbō livestream a live transmission of an event over the internet

【减速】jiǎnsù throttle down reduce power and speed

印度的月球3号宇宙飞船登陆月球，成为史上第四个完成这一壮举的国家。

这次成功大致确认了印度作为太空大国的地位。此前，只有美国、中国和前苏联实现过月球表面软着陆。

月球3号的着陆点比历史上任何其他航天器都更接近月球南极地区，该地区被认为具有关键的科学和战略意义，因为科学家认为该地区有水冰沉积。

冻结在阴暗陨石坑中的水有可能转化为火箭燃料，甚或是未来载人飞行任务的饮用水。

正在南非参加金砖国家峰会的印度总理纳伦德拉•莫迪以虚拟方式观看了登月，并发表了现场直播讲话。

就在几天前的8月19日，俄罗斯的月球25号飞船因引擎失灵坠入月球，该国47年来的首度登月尝试以失败告终。

月球3号在接近月球时用相机拍下了照片，印度航天局（ISRO）周二分享了其中一张，拍摄于8月20日，是一幅弥漫着尘土的灰色月球地貌的特写。

印度的月球着陆器由三部分组成：着陆器、月球车和推进舱，推进舱为飞船提供了穿越月球与地球间38.44万公里距离所需的动力。

名为维克拉姆的着陆器从推进舱弹出后，在精确操纵下完成了在月球表面的软着陆。

普拉吉安是一个小型六轮月球车，将顺着斜坡离开着陆器。

在接近月球表面时，维克拉姆号使用其机载推进器小心调整了方向，并在印度标准时间周三下午6点刚过时慢慢减速，为着陆做准备。

印度航天局随后证实已经与飞船建立了双向通信，并分享了着陆器最后下降过程中捕捉到的第一批月球表面图像。

随着月球3号的成功，印度成为21世纪继中国之后第二个登陆月球的国家，中国自2013年以来已三次实现月球表面软着陆，包括第一次在月球远侧着陆。

(Translated by Debra)