India

In a watershed moment for India’s space program, on Wednesday, the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft successfully touched down at the unexplored lunar south pole. This is the first time any country has visited this area of the Moon.

Update: The Pragyan rover has rolled off the Vikram lander. Due to the amount of dust kicked up upon the touchdown of the Vikram lander, the rollout of the rover was delayed.

We have been watching two lunar missions as they progress towards the lunar surface. The first mission involves India’s Chandrayaan 3 lunar lander and rover, while the second pertains to Russia’s Luna 25 lander. Presently, one mission is experiencing a smoother journey compared to the other.

India-based rocket manufacturer AgniKul Cosmos recently announced that it had signed a non-disclosure agreement with the Department of Space (DoS). Under this new agreement, AgniKul will be allowed to access the facilities and technical assistance of various Indian Space Research Organizations (ISRO).