CHANDRAYAAN-3, 2, 1... CONTACT

Vikram lands at 6.03pm, making India the 4th country to successfully park on the Moon, and the 1st in history to reach the lunar south pole | Grand moment of success for India comes after a 20-year-long lunar programme and 4 years after Chandrayaan-2 did not succeed | 'India is on the Moon,' declares Isro director S Somanath as country hails massive team of scientists that pulled off a flawless mission | Celebrations across the country and accolades from across the world, as Isro opens doorway to lunar exploration and future space missions

- Soumya Pillai

BENGALURU: India became the first country to land near the Moon's uncharted south pole region at 6.03pm after 18 nail-biting minutes of descent ended in a perfect touchdown, offering irrefutable evidence of the astronomical abilities and galactic ambitions of a nation that on Wednesday announced itself as one of the world's foremost space powers.

Chandrayaan-3's touchdown-which completed an extraordinary arc of decades of scientific perseverance culminating in the automated choreography of 12 big and small rocket engines executed to clinical precision also opened new vistas for the country's space programme in the lucrative market of space exploration and commerce.

"India is on the Moon!" S Somanath, the chief of Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) said, as the Chandrayaan-3's lander Vikram, with the Pragyan rover contained within, made a safe and soft landing on the Moon.

The watershed moment came mere days after Russia - a space veteran - crashed its mooncraft while attempting to reach the same territory. At an estimated budget of $75 million, Chandrayaan-3 was built at a fraction of the cost of not only previous American lunar missions but also this summer's cinema blockbusters Oppenheimer and Barbie.The Russian Luna-25 had cost $200 million.

"This is a victory cry of a new India," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, waving the Indian flag as he watched the landing from South Africa. Beaming scientists and officials burst into applause and hugged each other in joy at Isro's mission operations complex at Bengaluru after the Vikram lander finally came to a rest on the rugged lunar terrain after 18 minutes that pushed millions in India on the edge of their seats.