India's giant leap

MISSION TO THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

- STEPHEN WHITE

• Historic landing at the lunar south pole
• Rover will hunt for ice and study surface

THE first craft to land on the dark side of the Moon touched down at 12.30pm yesterday in a historic moment for India and the world.

A lander with a six-wheeled rover inside is now near the lunar south pole, an uncharted territory scientists believe could hold vital reserves of frozen water and precious elements.

After a failed attempt four years ago, there was relief and then cheers and applause from scientists watching the landing in the city of Bengaluru. India now stands alongside the US, Soviet Union and China as the only nations ever to achieve moon landings.

The success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission came just days after Russia's Luna-25, which was aiming for the same lunar region, spun into an uncontrolled orbit and crashed.