Humankind has gone to the moon and back more than a few times, although this time, it’s different. On August 23, 2023, India made history by being the first to land on the South Pole of the moon, where there is believed to be frozen water. Although, it was not as easy as past missions to get there. 

On July 14, 2023, India’s lunar module, Chandrayaan-3, started the journey to the moon’s south pole. The module has three parts: the lander module, the integrated module, and the propulsion module. On top, the lander module will, once on the moon, deploy the rover that is inside. Opposite of the lander module is the propulsion module, which will get Chandrayaan-3 into the moon’s orbit but release before touchdown. When the module has landed and the rover has been deployed, then data will be collected by, according to Techlusive, “…Laser Induced breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) and Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS).” These two pieces of technology on the rover will help it collect soil samples from the moon and    send high-quality information back. 

Although it was impressive to get to the moon’s surface, what was even more groundbreaking was landing on the South Pole. It was truly groundbreaking since no other country has been able to land in that region before. According to Time Magazine, the reason that this was the first South Pole landing on the moon was because of how scattered with boulders it is. Where Neil Armstrong and his crew landed in 1969, it was a flat and uncrowded area near the border. The countries that attempted to go to the South Pole before India never made it close enough to navigate the rough land. 

India did not just go to the South Pole because no one else has before, they went there because it is believed that there is frozen water on the south pole of the moon. If and when we establish a lunar base on the moon, the South Pole could be a crucial water source. This is because of the numerous ice patches that have been found there. According to SciTechDaily, “The ice inside these regions may be mixed in with the lunar soil, buried deep below the surface, or it could be a sheet of ice.” Any form the ice may be found in, we would still have to possibly extract and filter for it to be safe for human consumption. 

Landing on the moon’s south pole is a big accomplishment and one India should be greatly proud of. The research and studies that are being performed right now, 238,855 miles away on the lunar surface, will help scientists here on Earth expand our knowledge of the moon and space.