This historic discovery in the depths of the Moon will transform humanity

A historic milestone in space exploration has shaken the foundations of science and humanity: an unprecedented discovery in the depths of the Moon, carried out by an Indian mission, is set to transform our understanding of the cosmos.

Last year the Indian Space Research Organisation undertook its third lunar exploration mission of the Chandrayaan programme: Chandrayaan-3. A successful landing became a historic landmark as India became the fourth country to land on the Moon, and more significantly, the first to land in the Lunar South Pole region. The Pragyan rover, equipped with advanced technology such as a LIBS laser spectrometer, descended onto the lunar surface and began its exploratory mission to unveil the hidden secrets beneath the lunar surface. 

The most prominent discovery during this mission was the diversity of elements that were found on the lunar surface, such as sulfur, aluminum, calcium, iron among others, revealing the moons' mineral wealth. However the most striking discovery of this mission was the confirmation of water ice inside the craters of this polar region. This is a vital resource that could pave the way for future lunar explorations and even human settlements on the Moon. These groundbreaking findings not only redefine our understanding on the Moon, but also raise new questions that will lead us to further explore the mysteries of the cosmos. The once barely explored South Pole region has now become the epicentre of scientific research on the Moon. 

In its previous attempt in 2019, Chandrayaan-2 faced multiple technical challenges that resulted in the mission's failure. However, after advances in technology, they were able to overcome previous difficulties and achieve this unprecedented feat only four years later. One impressive fact is the relatively low cost of this mission, an estimated $75 million. This contrasts the massive investments made by other countries in their lunar expeditions, for example the United States and NASA who have an annual budget of $25,622 million. 

Bill Nelson, the director of NASA was one of the first to congratulate the Indian Space Research Organisation on its achievement and went on to highlight the importance of international collaboration in space exploration, and reaffirmed their commitment to future collaborative efforts. 

Looking to the future, India has ambitious interplanetary plans, including a manned mission to Earth's orbit in 2024, a new moon landing in 2025, and an orbital expedition to Venus. These projects promise to further expand the boundaries of human and scientific exploration in the cosmos.