India to launch Moon rover to search for water at satellite's south pole
Lander could become first ever spacecraft to land in the region
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.India is preparing to launch a spacecraft to the Moon, becoming the only the fourth country to make a soft landing on the surface.
The unmanned lander and rover had been due to lift off on Monday and to touch down near the Moon’s unexplored south pole on 6 or 7 September, becoming the first ever spacecraft to land in that region. However, India postponed the launch.
After that the rover will analyse minerals, map rock formations on the surface and search for water.
The lunar south pole is especially interesting because a much larger portion of it is in shadow than the north pole, presenting a greater possibility of water.
Water is an essential ingredient for life, and finding it is part of science’s broader goal of determining whether there is life elsewhere in our solar system.
The $141m (£112m) Chandrayaan-2 mission will “boldly go where no country has ever gone before” the Indian Space Research Organization said.
Previously only the US, China and the former Soviet Union have made soft landings on the Moon.
India’s first lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, Sanskrit for “moon craft”, orbited the Moon in 2008 and helped confirm the presence of water.
In 2013-14, India put a satellite into orbit around Mars in the nation’s first interplanetary mission.
Some have questioned the expense in a country of 1.3 billion people with widespread poverty and one of the world’s highest child mortality rates.
But author and economic commentator Gurcharan Das said the cost of the second moonshot was small compared with India’s overall budget and that the project could have a multiplier effect on the economy.
With India poised to become the world’s fifth-largest economy, the nationalist government of prime minister Narendra Modi is eager to show off the country’s prowess in security and technology.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments