India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is looking to become the first ever to land on the moon's south pole, just days after a Russian attempt ended in a crash. The region's shadowed craters are believed to contain water ice that could help make a permanent lunar base for humans a reality.
No country has ever landed a spacecraft in the regionSouth pole's craters thought to contain water ice that could be used for fuel, oxygen, and drinking water - potentially supporting human baseWhy did Russia's recent attempt fail?
Yury Borisov, boss of Russian space agency Roscosmos, said its engines were turned on over the weekend to put Luna-25 into a"pre-landing orbit", but they did not shut down properly and so it slammed into the lunar surface. The difficulty of doing so was made clear over the weekend when a Russian craft crashed during its own bid, meaning the door remained open for India to set a new bar for moon exploration.
Space agencies including NASA have detected frozen water in the moon's south pole craters before, but no country has ever actually ventured into the region.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Chandrayaan-3: India's Moon lander Vikram aims for historic lunar south pole landingIndia is attempting to make history by landing Chandrayaan-3 near the Moon's little-explored south pole.
Read more »
Chandrayaan-3: India attempts first ever south pole Moon landingThe country's space agency wants to be the first in history to land a craft near the lunar south pole.
Read more »
Chandrayaan-3: India's historic Moon mission lifts off successfullyWith Chandrayaan-3, India aims to be the first to land near the Moon's little-explored south pole.
Read more »
India moon landing: Chandrayaan-3 could make history in space today - here's what you need to knowOnly three nations - the US, China, and Soviet Union - have ever touched down on Earth's satellite, and none have successfully made it to the dark side. India is aiming to become the first one to do it.
Read more »
What time the India Moon landing will be today and how to watch Chandrayaan-3 touch downA successful landing would make India the fourth country – after the US, the Soviet Union and China – to achieve the feat
Read more »
India releases photos of Moon's far side as it seeks landing spot at unexplored south poleIndia is aiming to become the first country to land on the Moon's never-before-explored south pole, after a Russian mission ended in a humiliating crash-landing on Sunday
Read more »