Hopes Rise for India to Become First to Land on Moon’s South Pole

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By Vibhuti Agarwal

(The Wall Street Journal) — The crash of a Russian spacecraft left India better poised to become the first country to land on the moon’s unexplored south pole, an achievement that would solidify its position as a major space power amid renewed global interest in lunar exploration.

The Indian Space Research Organization, the country’s space agency, said on Sunday that its spacecraft had successfully slowed down and would await sunrise in the challenging terrain before attempting a landing on Aug. 23.

If India’s lander is able to set down safely on Wednesday, it would be a moment of intense national pride.

“Chandrayaan-3 scripts a new chapter in India’s space odyssey. It soars high, elevating the dreams and ambitions of every Indian,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, after India launched its unmanned spacecraft with a lander and rover in July.