Hurray to the Fourth Country to Ever Reach the Moon!

India has just become the fourth country to ever land on the moon.

“India’s successful moon mission is not just India’s alone … this success belongs to all of humanity,” says Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “We can all aspire for the moon and beyond.”

India’s successful Chandrayaan-3 mission follows in the footsteps of the Soviet Union, the United States, and China, and is the only one of the four to land on the lunar south pole. The lander and rover stayed on the moon for one lunar day – the equivalent of 14 Earth days – and collected data from the unexplored south pole. This successful landing is a huge accomplishment for the nation’s space program and is a hopeful sign of what is to come for the country. The Indian Space Research Organization is now aiming to launch the first astronaut from India to space and send missions to Mars and Venus.