Indian lunar probe Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed on the moon

INDIA - The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) confirmed that its Chandrayaan-3 lunar probe successfully landed near the Moon's South Pole.

"This moment is unforgettable. It is phenomenal. It is a victory cry of a new India," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who waved the Indian flag as he watched the landing from South Africa.

Scientists, officials and the entire country celebrated the mission when the spacecraft landed, since this was India's second attempt to land a spacecraft on the moon; this milestone is achieved less than a week after the failure of the Russian Luna-25 mission.

The countries that had so far achieved a controlled landing on the lunar surface were Russia, the United States and China.

The probe's mission is to collect rock samples, focusing on detecting traces of frozen water.

Potential South Pole ice deposits could provide information about the geological composition of the Moon and its ability to support future manned lunar missions.

Chandrayaan-3 is expected to continue operating for two weeks, performing a series of experiments including a spectrometer analysis of the mineral composition of the lunar surface.