Japan aims to become the fifth country to put a spacecraft on the moon when it attempts a precision landing on Friday, in what would be a boost for a space program that has suffered a wave of setbacks and been eclipsed by rival China.

Japan's 'Moon Sniper' attempts historic lunar landing

<p>JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) is just a day away from its historic 'Moon Sniper' landing on the lunar surface. The Japanese space agency is using pinpoint technology for its landing and all eyes are on it after recent string of failures of other lunar missions. Japan is hoping for the success of its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission. If the mission succeeds, Japan will be the fifth nation to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, a very tricky affair to start with.</p>

<p>Before this, only the United States, Russia, China and India have been successful.</p>

<p>Soft landing on the Moon may be tricky but the Japanese space agency has taken efforts for success of its mission. The spacecraft is equipped with a rolling robot which lends unprecedented precision to the landing attempt.</p>

<h2><strong>When will JAXA land on the Moon?</strong></h2>

<p>The descent of the SLIM craft will begin its descent is slated to start on midnight on Saturday (8:30 pm IST on Friday). If all goes well, the touchdown will take place 20 minutes after that.</p>

<h2><strong>What's different about JAXA Moon landing?</strong></h2>

<p>Unlike other missions, which target a large area of the lunar surface, JAXA is targetting 100 metres. This is far less than the usual targets of several kilometres in previous missions.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Why is NASA pushing back Moon mission timelines?</strong></p>

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<p>JAXA is keen to taste success after two failed lunar missions and a recent rocket failures including explosions after lift-off.</p>

<p>SLIM is aiming to land in crater on the Moon where the Moon's Mantle is estimated to be accessible from its surface. Mantle is th deep inner layer beneath the crust of the lunar surface.</p>

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<p>"The rocks exposed here are crucial in the search for the origins of the Moon and the Earth," Tomokatsu Morota, an associate professor at the University of Tokyo specialising in lunar and planetary exploration, told AFP.</p>

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<p>Japan is not new to pinpoint landings. It has achieved the feat on an asteroid. But doing so on lunar surface presents greater challenges due to relatively strong gravity of the Moon.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) is just a day away from its historic 'Moon Sniper' landing on the lunar surface. The Japanese space agency is using pinpoint technology for its landing and all eyes are on it after recent string of failures of other lunar missions.

JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) is just a day away from its historic 'Moon Sniper' landing on the lunar surface. The Japanese space agency is using pinpoint technology for its landing and all eyes are on it after recent string of failures of other lunar missions. Japan is hoping for the success of its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission. If the mission succeeds, Japan will be the fifth nation to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, a very tricky affair to start with. Before this, only the United States, Russia, China and India have been successful. Soft landing on the Moon may be tricky but the Japanese space agency has taken efforts for success of its mission. The spacecraft is equipped with a rolling robot which lends unprecedented precision to the landing attempt. When will JAXA land on the Moon? The descent of the SLIM craft will begin its descent is slated to start on midnight on Saturday (8:30 pm IST on Friday). If all goes well, the touchdown will take place 20 minutes after that. What's different about JAXA Moon landing? Unlike other missions, which target a large area of the lunar surface, JAXA is targetting 100 metres. This is far less than the usual targets of several kilometres in previous missions. Watch | Why is NASA pushing back Moon mission timelines? × JAXA is keen to taste success after two failed lunar missions and a recent rocket failures including explosions after lift-off. SLIM is aiming to land in crater on the Moon where the Moon's Mantle is estimated to be accessible from its surface. Mantle is th deep inner layer beneath the crust of the lunar surface. Also Read | Two rare comets will come close to Earth in 2024. Devil Comet is one of them "The rocks exposed here are crucial in the search for the origins of the Moon and the Earth," Tomokatsu Morota, an associate professor at the University of Tokyo specialising in lunar and planetary exploration, told AFP. Also Read | Mars rock resembling iconic Star Trek symbol snapped by NASA’s Curiosity rover Japan is not new to pinpoint landings. It has achieved the feat on an asteroid. But doing so on lunar surface presents greater challenges due to relatively strong gravity of the Moon. (With inputs from agencies)

Japan Moon mission: All eyes on JAXA with 'pinpoint' landing just a day away

<p>The ill-fated Moon lander launched by a private US firm earlier this month will soon be entering Earth’s atmosphere, where it is expected to turn into ashes before reaching the ground, the parent company of the lander said Saturday (Jan 13).</p>

<p>Astrobotic in a post on social media shared its new assessment, dashing hopes of a hard landing on the Moon. "Our latest assessment now shows the spacecraft is on a path towards Earth, where it will likely burn up in the Earth's atmosphere," the Pittsburgh-based company posted on X. "The team is currently assessing options and we will update as soon as we are able," the post added.</p>

<p>The Peregrine lander was launched by Astrobotic on January 8 on a brand new Vulcan rocket built by United Launch Alliance. However, it wasn’t long before they realised a fuel leakage had jeopardised the planned soft landing on the Moon.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The spacecraft is believed to have experienced an onboard explosion soon after getting separated from the rocket.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Despite these setbacks, some observers had hoped for a ‘hard landing’ on the Moon, just like other similar lunar missions sent by an Israeli nonprofit and a Japanese company.</p>

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<p>However, the new assessment shared by Astrobotic indicates that even the reduced target won’t be achieved.</p>

<p>The spaceship not only carries scientific equipment but also transports cargo for Astrobotic's private clients, including a sports drink can, a physical Bitcoin, as well as human and animal ashes and DNA.&nbsp;Notably, the box-shaped robot has now been faring in space for more than five days and is currently 242,000 miles (390,000 kilometres) from our planet, according to Astrobotic.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Trending on WION: Scientists welcome new antibiotic that kills drug-resistant bacteria CRAB</strong></p>

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<p>NASA invested over $100 million in this venture through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services programme, aiming to foster a commercial lunar economy and cut down its own expenses.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Despite setbacks, NASA's strategy of "more shots on goal" remains evident, with the upcoming launch by Intuitive Machines in February. Astrobotic will have another opportunity in November, sending NASA's VIPER rover with its Griffin lander to the lunar south pole.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The ill-fated Moon lander launched by a private US firm earlier this month will soon be entering Earth’s atmosphere, where it is expected to turn into ashes before reaching the ground, the parent company of the lander said Saturday (Jan 13).

The ill-fated Moon lander launched by a private US firm earlier this month will soon be entering Earth’s atmosphere, where it is expected to turn into ashes before reaching the ground, the parent company of the lander said Saturday (Jan 13). Astrobotic in a post on social media shared its new assessment, dashing hopes of a hard landing on the Moon. "Our latest assessment now shows the spacecraft is on a path towards Earth, where it will likely burn up in the Earth's atmosphere," the Pittsburgh-based company posted on X. "The team is currently assessing options and we will update as soon as we are able," the post added. The Peregrine lander was launched by Astrobotic on January 8 on a brand new Vulcan rocket built by United Launch Alliance. However, it wasn’t long before they realised a fuel leakage had jeopardised the planned soft landing on the Moon. The spacecraft is believed to have experienced an onboard explosion soon after getting separated from the rocket. Despite these setbacks, some observers had hoped for a ‘hard landing’ on the Moon, just like other similar lunar missions sent by an Israeli nonprofit and a Japanese company. Also read: China’s Weibo blocks ‘Taiwan election’ hashtag after it starts trending with 163.2mn post views However, the new assessment shared by Astrobotic indicates that even the reduced target won’t be achieved. The spaceship not only carries scientific equipment but also transports cargo for Astrobotic's private clients, including a sports drink can, a physical Bitcoin, as well as human and animal ashes and DNA. Notably, the box-shaped robot has now been faring in space for more than five days and is currently 242,000 miles (390,000 kilometres) from our planet, according to Astrobotic. Watch: Trending on WION: Scientists welcome new antibiotic that kills drug-resistant bacteria CRAB × NASA invested over $100 million in this venture through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services programme, aiming to foster a commercial lunar economy and cut down its own expenses. Despite setbacks, NASA's strategy of "more shots on goal" remains evident, with the upcoming launch by Intuitive Machines in February. Astrobotic will have another opportunity in November, sending NASA's VIPER rover with its Griffin lander to the lunar south pole. (With inputs from agencies)

Doomed private US Moon lander now destined for Earth, to ‘burn up’ in atmosphere

<p>Astrobotic, the company that launched the United States' first private lunar lander mission, said on Tuesday (Jan&nbsp;9) that the mission was a failure. With this, America's hopes of placing the first spacecraft on Moon since the Apollo era were dashed.</p>

<p>Astrobotic's Peregrine Lunar Lander lifted off on Monday sitting atop United Launch Alliance's new Vulcan rocket. The launch took place from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.</p>

<p>The lander had some initial success after separating from its launch vehicle. But Astrobotic reported malfunctions just a few hours later. The operators at the company were not able to turn Peregrine's solar panels towards the Sun for its batteries.</p>

<p>This happened due to a propulsion problem which also caused damage to the spacecraft's exterior.</p>

<p>On Tuesday, the company said that there was "no chance of soft landing" on the Moon.</p>

<p>The lander still has about 40 hours of fuel left, and the company has said that it was planning to operate the craft till the fuel runs out.</p>

<p>Taking to X, the company in an update later said:&nbsp;"Astrobotic's current hypothesis about the Peregrine spacecraft's propulsion anomaly is that a valve between the helium pressurant and the oxidizer failed to reseal after actuation during initialization."</p>

<p>"This led to a rush of high-pressure helium that spiked the pressure in the oxidizer tank beyond its operating limit and subsequently ruptured the tank," it added.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Update #8 for Peregrine Mission One: <a href="https://t.co/gyH4W6B3cc">pic.twitter.com/gyH4W6B3cc</a></p>
— Astrobotic (@astrobotic) <a href="https://twitter.com/astrobotic/status/1744835489838854215?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>NASA had paid Astrobotic more than USD 100 million to land scientific instruments on the Moon to find out information about surface composition and radiation in the Moon's mid-latitude region.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Why is NASA pushing back Moon mission timelines?</strong></p>

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<p>NASA is preparing to go back to the Moon but lately, the United States has turned to private sector to stimulate the lunar economy and to cut costs. The latest setback to the Peregrine lander may bring into question the strategy.</p>

<p>Astrobot however maintained that it will continue to receive valuable data which will help its next mission.</p>

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<p>The company is preparing to send the Griffin lander which will transport a NASA rover to the Moon's south pole. The mission is slated for later months of this year.</p>

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<p>Peregrine is the latest private company to try and fail at a soft lunar landing.</p>

<p>The Beresheet lander from Israel was first attempt by a non-government firm to land on Moon. But the attempt failed in 2019. Japan's Hakuto mission operated by iSpace crashed in April last year.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Astrobotic, the company that launched the United States' first private lunar lander mission, said on Tuesday (Jan 9) that the mission was a failure. With this, America's hopes of placing the first spacecraft on Moon since the Apollo era were dashed.

Astrobotic, the company that launched the United States' first private lunar lander mission, said on Tuesday (Jan 9) that the mission was a failure. With this, America's hopes of placing the first spacecraft on Moon since the Apollo era were dashed. Astrobotic's Peregrine Lunar Lander lifted off on Monday sitting atop United Launch Alliance's new Vulcan rocket. The launch took place from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The lander had some initial success after separating from its launch vehicle. But Astrobotic reported malfunctions just a few hours later. The operators at the company were not able to turn Peregrine's solar panels towards the Sun for its batteries. This happened due to a propulsion problem which also caused damage to the spacecraft's exterior. On Tuesday, the company said that there was "no chance of soft landing" on the Moon. The lander still has about 40 hours of fuel left, and the company has said that it was planning to operate the craft till the fuel runs out. Taking to X, the company in an update later said: "Astrobotic's current hypothesis about the Peregrine spacecraft's propulsion anomaly is that a valve between the helium pressurant and the oxidizer failed to reseal after actuation during initialization." "This led to a rush of high-pressure helium that spiked the pressure in the oxidizer tank beyond its operating limit and subsequently ruptured the tank," it added. Update #8 for Peregrine Mission One: pic.twitter.com/gyH4W6B3cc — Astrobotic (@astrobotic) January 9, 2024 × NASA had paid Astrobotic more than USD 100 million to land scientific instruments on the Moon to find out information about surface composition and radiation in the Moon's mid-latitude region. Watch | Why is NASA pushing back Moon mission timelines? × NASA is preparing to go back to the Moon but lately, the United States has turned to private sector to stimulate the lunar economy and to cut costs. The latest setback to the Peregrine lander may bring into question the strategy. Astrobot however maintained that it will continue to receive valuable data which will help its next mission. Also Read | A failed star is witnessing mysterious auroras, leaving scientists perplexed The company is preparing to send the Griffin lander which will transport a NASA rover to the Moon's south pole. The mission is slated for later months of this year. Also Read | Radio signal that took 8 billion years to reach Earth came from seven interacting galaxies Peregrine is the latest private company to try and fail at a soft lunar landing. The Beresheet lander from Israel was first attempt by a non-government firm to land on Moon. But the attempt failed in 2019. Japan's Hakuto mission operated by iSpace crashed in April last year. (With inputs from agencies)

'No chance of landing': First-ever US private lunar lander mission fails, firm blames valve fault

A robotic lander built by a private company was bound for the moon on Monday (January 8) in an attempt to make the first U.S. lunar soft landing in half a century, after launching into space aboard a new Vulcan rocket debuted by a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

US: Private moon mission hits technical snag, first lunar mission to face issues in 50 years

<p>Japanese space startup Ispace Inc is set to embark on its second lunar mission as early as 2024 despite the setback of its failed attempt in April to land a rover on the moon.&nbsp;The upcoming mission is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, possibly in the northern hemisphere winter of 2024, according to statements from the Tokyo-based company.</p>

<p>Ispace's CEO Takeshi Hakamada spoke of the importance of the experience and data gained from the initial mission, even while&nbsp;not achieving a successful moon landing.</p>

<p>“We may not have landed on the moon the first time, but the experience and data we gained are vital,” Chief Executive Officer Takeshi Hakamada reportedly said.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>The payload of the lander, named 'Resilience,' includes various components such as a water electrolyser, a module for experimenting with food production, a deep space probe, a commemorative metal plate based on the Japanese anime series <em>Gundam</em>, and a micro-rover developed by Ispace, media reports said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The rover has a weight of around 5 kilogrammes and is 26 centimetres tall. It is also equipped with a high-definition camera to capture lunar surface images along with a shovel for collecting lunar rocks.</p>

<h2><strong>Mission improvements</strong></h2>

<p>Acknowledging the challenges faced during the first attempt, Ispace said that improvements would be incorporated into the Mission 2 flight model.</p>

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<p>These enhancements include necessary "software validation, expanding the landing simulation range, and additional field testing of radar sensors" to improve mission accuracy. Ispace's announcement follows the success of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's H2-A rocket launch in September.</p>

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<p>Ispace, founded in 2010, is competing with other companies, such as Intuitive Machines Inc. and Astrobotic Technology Inc., in the race to place the first commercial lander on the moon. Despite the growing interest in commercial space endeavours, challenges still persist with a lack of rockets with sufficient payload capacity leading to delays and cancellations of launch plans.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Japanese space startup Ispace Inc is set to embark on its second lunar mission as early as 2024 despite the setback of its failed attempt in April to land a rover on the moon.

Japanese space startup Ispace Inc is set to embark on its second lunar mission as early as 2024 despite the setback of its failed attempt in April to land a rover on the moon. The upcoming mission is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, possibly in the northern hemisphere winter of 2024, according to statements from the Tokyo-based company. Ispace's CEO Takeshi Hakamada spoke of the importance of the experience and data gained from the initial mission, even while not achieving a successful moon landing. “We may not have landed on the moon the first time, but the experience and data we gained are vital,” Chief Executive Officer Takeshi Hakamada reportedly said. Also Read | India's EAM Jaishankar discusses pro-Khalistani extremism with UK leaders The payload of the lander, named 'Resilience,' includes various components such as a water electrolyser, a module for experimenting with food production, a deep space probe, a commemorative metal plate based on the Japanese anime series Gundam, and a micro-rover developed by Ispace, media reports said. The rover has a weight of around 5 kilogrammes and is 26 centimetres tall. It is also equipped with a high-definition camera to capture lunar surface images along with a shovel for collecting lunar rocks. Mission improvements Acknowledging the challenges faced during the first attempt, Ispace said that improvements would be incorporated into the Mission 2 flight model. Also Read | Situation may worsen in Iceland's sinking town, lava likely to flow from fissures for weeks, warn experts These enhancements include necessary "software validation, expanding the landing simulation range, and additional field testing of radar sensors" to improve mission accuracy. Ispace's announcement follows the success of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's H2-A rocket launch in September. Watch | Israel raids Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital for second day × Ispace, founded in 2010, is competing with other companies, such as Intuitive Machines Inc. and Astrobotic Technology Inc., in the race to place the first commercial lander on the moon. Despite the growing interest in commercial space endeavours, challenges still persist with a lack of rockets with sufficient payload capacity leading to delays and cancellations of launch plans. (With inputs from agencies)

Second moon mission by Japan's Ispace to take flight as early as 2024 after April setback

<p>NASA's Juno mission has made a significant observation of mineral salts and organic compounds on the surface of Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon. This data was gathered by the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) spectrometer during a close flyby of Ganymede. The findings are crucial as these observations will now be able to throw light on Ganymede's origin and its deep-ocean composition.</p>

<p>The results of the observation were published in the journal Nature Astronomy on October 30.</p>

<p>Ganymede is even larger than the planet Mercury. This moon, one among more than 80 moons of the planet Jupiter, has attracted scientific interest due to its vast internal ocean hidden beneath an icy crust.</p>

<p>The observation is a breakthrough for scientists as previous observations from NASA's Galileo spacecraft, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope had only hinted at the presence of salts and organic compounds. At the time, the spatial resolution of those observations was insufficient to draw definitive conclusions.&nbsp;</p>

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<h2><strong>Juno flies over&nbsp;Jupiter's moon,</strong>&nbsp;<strong>Ganymede</strong></h2>

<p>On June 7, 2021, the Juno spacecraft flew over Ganymede at an altitude of 650 miles.</p>

<p>The JIRAM instrument captured infrared images and spectra of the moon's surface. JIRAM, built by the Italian Space Agency, was originally designed to study Jupiter's atmosphere but has also been used to explore the surfaces of Jupiter's Galilean moons - Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.</p>

<p>The JIRAM data collected during the flyby achieved a remarkable spatial resolution for infrared spectroscopy which exceeded 0.62 miles per pixel.</p>

<p>Using this data, Juno scientists identified and analysed unique spectral features of non-water-ice materials, including hydrated sodium chloride, ammonium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and possibly aliphatic aldehydes.</p>

<p>Federico Tosi, a Juno co-investigator from Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics in Rome and lead author of the paper in a statement said,&nbsp;“The presence of ammoniated salts suggests that Ganymede may have accumulated materials cold enough to condense ammonia during its formation."</p>

<p>“The carbonate salts could be remnants of carbon dioxide-rich ices," Tosi added.&nbsp;</p>

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<h2><strong>Abundance of salts and organics</strong></h2>

<p>During the June 2021 flyby, JIRAM identified the greatest abundance of salts and organics in the dark and bright terrains at latitudes protected by Ganymede's magnetic field.</p>

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<p>Scott Bolton, Juno’s principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio said, “This suggests we are seeing the remnants of a deep ocean brine that reached the surface of this frozen world.”</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


NASA's Juno mission has made a significant observation of mineral salts and organic compounds on the surface of Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon. This data was gathered by the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) spectrometer during a close flyby of Ganymede.

NASA's Juno mission has made a significant observation of mineral salts and organic compounds on the surface of Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon. This data was gathered by the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) spectrometer during a close flyby of Ganymede. The findings are crucial as these observations will now be able to throw light on Ganymede's origin and its deep-ocean composition. The results of the observation were published in the journal Nature Astronomy on October 30. Ganymede is even larger than the planet Mercury. This moon, one among more than 80 moons of the planet Jupiter, has attracted scientific interest due to its vast internal ocean hidden beneath an icy crust. The observation is a breakthrough for scientists as previous observations from NASA's Galileo spacecraft, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope had only hinted at the presence of salts and organic compounds. At the time, the spatial resolution of those observations was insufficient to draw definitive conclusions. Also Read | FDA weighs risks and benefits of CRISPR therapy for sickle cell disease Juno flies over Jupiter's moon, Ganymede On June 7, 2021, the Juno spacecraft flew over Ganymede at an altitude of 650 miles. The JIRAM instrument captured infrared images and spectra of the moon's surface. JIRAM, built by the Italian Space Agency, was originally designed to study Jupiter's atmosphere but has also been used to explore the surfaces of Jupiter's Galilean moons - Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. The JIRAM data collected during the flyby achieved a remarkable spatial resolution for infrared spectroscopy which exceeded 0.62 miles per pixel. Using this data, Juno scientists identified and analysed unique spectral features of non-water-ice materials, including hydrated sodium chloride, ammonium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and possibly aliphatic aldehydes. Federico Tosi, a Juno co-investigator from Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics in Rome and lead author of the paper in a statement said, “The presence of ammoniated salts suggests that Ganymede may have accumulated materials cold enough to condense ammonia during its formation." “The carbonate salts could be remnants of carbon dioxide-rich ices," Tosi added. Also Read | Anger is not your enemy all the time, may help you solve problems faster Abundance of salts and organics During the June 2021 flyby, JIRAM identified the greatest abundance of salts and organics in the dark and bright terrains at latitudes protected by Ganymede's magnetic field. Watch | Israel-Palestine war: Hamas plans to release non-Israeli hostages × Scott Bolton, Juno’s principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio said, “This suggests we are seeing the remnants of a deep ocean brine that reached the surface of this frozen world.” (With inputs from agencies)

NASA's Juno observes mineral salts, organic treasures on Jupiter’s moon Ganymede

For India, even the Moon is not enough after successfully landing on the lunar surface ISRO the Indian space agency has now given itself an ambitious target of sending an astronaut to the Moon by 2040.

Gaganyaan: India's first mission to send astronauts to space

India space agency ISRO just announced that they're all set for a crucial rocket flight test this Saturday. As part of this ISRO will launch a rocket and shut it down mid-flight to test how a save a potential astronaut carrying a capsule from it. Keep watching this interview with ISRO Chief Dr S Somnath to know more.

Dr S Somnath: ISRO all geared up for 'TV-D1' test flight mission

<p>China's ambitious Chang’e-8 moon mission, which is set for&nbsp;launch in 2028, is opening up doors for international players for equipment that will be used in the space mission. But what's noteworthy is the magnanimity of the space being provided to global players in the&nbsp;Chang’e-8&nbsp;lunar exploration project by China.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mission’s deputy chief designer, Wang Qiong, gave details about the mission and its planning on Monday (Oct 2). He said that the Chang’e-8 moon mission will have a whopping 200kg (440lb) of payload capacity for countries who are keen on aiding China with equipment.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>So, what all equipment is included?&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>While speaking at the 74th International Astronautical Congress on Monday (Oct 2) in Baku, Azerbaijan, Wang said that these instruments could be the ones that are attached to the lander.</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/setback-for-vladimir-putin-as-russia-withdraws-black-sea-fleet-from-crimea-report-642764">Setback for Putin as Russia withdraws Black Sea Fleet from Crimea: Report</a></p>

<p>Moreover, equipment like robots, rovers, and flight vehicles, which have the capability of functioning independently after landing, are also included.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Letters of intent&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Open for the international community to contribute, the Chang’e-8 moon&nbsp;exploration project by China is looking to uphold principles of "equality, mutual benefit, peaceful use, and win-win cooperation."</p>

<p>The deadline for submitting letters of intent has also been defined. It must be given to the China National Space Administration by the end of this year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japans-fukushima-nuclear-plant-begins-release-of-second-batch-of-treated-radioactive-wastewater-642747">Fukushima nuclear plant releases treated radioactive wastewater's second batch</a></p>

<p>China said that preference will be given to innovative projects such as bots that can pick objects, such as lunar soil, from the moon's surface during the mission. Additionally, other scientific instruments which complement the Chinese equipment will be given priority.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/indias-drug-regulators-crackdown-on-42-billion-drug-industry-642835">India's drug regulators crackdown on $42 billion drug industry</a></strong></p>

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<p>Going a step further, CNSA is also open to mission-level cooperation for the Chang’e-8 moon mission. Under this, China and its partners would launch and operate their probes separately. However, once in orbit, there would be spacecraft-to-spacecraft interaction, Wang added.</p>

<h2><strong>A new milestone&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>The previous payload contribution from other countries in China's lunar exploration has been significantly less and thus makes this new opportunity a first-ever of this magnitude.&nbsp;For instance, the Chang’e-6 mission, set for a potential launch next year, will carry less than 20kg of equipment from France, Sweden, Italy, and Pakistan. If successful, it would be the first mission to collect and bring back samples from the far side of the moon</p>

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China's ambitious Chang’e-8 moon mission, which is set for launch in 2028, is opening up doors for international players for equipment that will be used in the space mission.

China's ambitious Chang’e-8 moon mission, which is set for launch in 2028, is opening up doors for international players for equipment that will be used in the space mission. But what's noteworthy is the magnanimity of the space being provided to global players in the Chang’e-8 lunar exploration project by China. Mission’s deputy chief designer, Wang Qiong, gave details about the mission and its planning on Monday (Oct 2). He said that the Chang’e-8 moon mission will have a whopping 200kg (440lb) of payload capacity for countries who are keen on aiding China with equipment. So, what all equipment is included? While speaking at the 74th International Astronautical Congress on Monday (Oct 2) in Baku, Azerbaijan, Wang said that these instruments could be the ones that are attached to the lander. Also Read | Setback for Putin as Russia withdraws Black Sea Fleet from Crimea: Report Moreover, equipment like robots, rovers, and flight vehicles, which have the capability of functioning independently after landing, are also included. Letters of intent Open for the international community to contribute, the Chang’e-8 moon exploration project by China is looking to uphold principles of "equality, mutual benefit, peaceful use, and win-win cooperation." The deadline for submitting letters of intent has also been defined. It must be given to the China National Space Administration by the end of this year. Also Read | Fukushima nuclear plant releases treated radioactive wastewater's second batch China said that preference will be given to innovative projects such as bots that can pick objects, such as lunar soil, from the moon's surface during the mission. Additionally, other scientific instruments which complement the Chinese equipment will be given priority. Watch | India's drug regulators crackdown on $42 billion drug industry × Going a step further, CNSA is also open to mission-level cooperation for the Chang’e-8 moon mission. Under this, China and its partners would launch and operate their probes separately. However, once in orbit, there would be spacecraft-to-spacecraft interaction, Wang added. A new milestone The previous payload contribution from other countries in China's lunar exploration has been significantly less and thus makes this new opportunity a first-ever of this magnitude. For instance, the Chang’e-6 mission, set for a potential launch next year, will carry less than 20kg of equipment from France, Sweden, Italy, and Pakistan. If successful, it would be the first mission to collect and bring back samples from the far side of the moon WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Chang’e-8 moon mission: China to offer 440lb of payload to interested countries

<p>Russia's Luna-25 lunar probe failed due to abnormal operation aboard its control system, the State Space Corporation Roscosmos disclosed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The interagency commission is wrapping up its work to find the reasons for the abnormal operation of the Luna-25 automatic station in the lunar orbit. It has been established that Luna-25 most likely crashed due to the abnormal operation of the onboard control system resulting from a failure of the accelerometer unit in the BIUS-L device (the angle velocity measuring instrument) after commands with different priorities of their fulfilment possibly entered into one array of data," Roscosmos said in a statement.</p>

<h2><strong>Russian space mission failed: What exactly happened?</strong></h2>

<p>While the Russian space agency said that the&nbsp;malfunction appears to have been caused by a failure in the accelerometer unit within the BIUS-L device, it finally resulted in&nbsp;conflicting commands with varying priorities entering the data stream, TASS reported.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Chandrayaan-3 vs Russia's Luna-25 race to the moon</strong></p>

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<p>This, TASS report added,&nbsp;resulted in a lack of signals from the accelerometers, preventing the system from determining the correct moment to apply corrective impulses and switch off the propulsion unit, ultimately leading to the probe's temporary shutdown.</p>

<h2><strong>What next?</strong></h2>

<p>The investigation commission will now provide recommendations to prevent such incidents in future lunar missions.</p>

<p>The Luna-25 probe was launched aboard a Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket from the Vostochny spaceport, with its mission ending when it crashed into the Moon's surface after losing contact.</p>

<p>According to preliminary data, Luna-25 ceased to exist after crashing into the Moon’s surface. The event led to the dashing of Russian hopes to&nbsp;beat India to the unexplored south pole of the moon.</p>

<p>The two countries share an intimate history of space cooperation with India's first person in space, Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma going to space aboard a Soviet spacecraft in the 1980s.</p>

<p><img alt="Indian Air Force's Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, flight engineer Gennady Strekalov and commander Yury Malyshev alongside screengrabs of the-then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's interaction with Rakesh Sharma" src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202023-07-09T123411.047.png" /><br />
<em>Indian Air Force's Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma (centre), flight engineer Gennady Strekalov (L) and commander Yury Malyshev (R) alongside the screengrabs of the-then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's interaction with Rakesh Sharma |&nbsp;spacefacts.de/YouTube&nbsp;via Indian National Congress</em></p>

<p>An Indian spacecraft, the Vikram lander of Indian Space Research Organisation's Chandrayaan-3 mission,&nbsp;landed there on August 23.</p>

<h2><b>What does it mean?</b></h2>

<p>The failure of Russian lunar mission coincided&nbsp;with the success of Indian&nbsp;mission to Moon.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/chandrayaan-3-is-a-success-a-soft-landing-for-vikram-lander-a-giant-leap-for-indias-space-odyssey-628404">Chandrayaan-3 is success: A soft landing for Vikram lander, giant leap for India's space odyssey</a></strong></p>

<p>The failure underscored the decline of Russia’s space power since the Soviet Union heydays of&nbsp;Cold War competition when Moscow was the first to launch a satellite to orbit the Earth – Sputnik 1, in 1957 – and Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to travel into space in 1961.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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Russia's Luna-25 lunar probe failed due to abnormal operation aboard its control system, the State Space Corporation Roscosmos disclosed. "The interagency commission is wrapping up its work to find the reasons for the abnormal operation of the Luna-25 automatic station in the lunar orbit.

Russia's Luna-25 lunar probe failed due to abnormal operation aboard its control system, the State Space Corporation Roscosmos disclosed. "The interagency commission is wrapping up its work to find the reasons for the abnormal operation of the Luna-25 automatic station in the lunar orbit. It has been established that Luna-25 most likely crashed due to the abnormal operation of the onboard control system resulting from a failure of the accelerometer unit in the BIUS-L device (the angle velocity measuring instrument) after commands with different priorities of their fulfilment possibly entered into one array of data," Roscosmos said in a statement. Russian space mission failed: What exactly happened? While the Russian space agency said that the malfunction appears to have been caused by a failure in the accelerometer unit within the BIUS-L device, it finally resulted in conflicting commands with varying priorities entering the data stream, TASS reported. Also watch | Gravitas: Chandrayaan-3 vs Russia's Luna-25 race to the moon × This, TASS report added, resulted in a lack of signals from the accelerometers, preventing the system from determining the correct moment to apply corrective impulses and switch off the propulsion unit, ultimately leading to the probe's temporary shutdown. What next? The investigation commission will now provide recommendations to prevent such incidents in future lunar missions. The Luna-25 probe was launched aboard a Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket from the Vostochny spaceport, with its mission ending when it crashed into the Moon's surface after losing contact. According to preliminary data, Luna-25 ceased to exist after crashing into the Moon’s surface. The event led to the dashing of Russian hopes to beat India to the unexplored south pole of the moon. The two countries share an intimate history of space cooperation with India's first person in space, Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma going to space aboard a Soviet spacecraft in the 1980s. Indian Air Force's Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma (centre), flight engineer Gennady Strekalov (L) and commander Yury Malyshev (R) alongside the screengrabs of the-then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's interaction with Rakesh Sharma | spacefacts.de/YouTube via Indian National Congress An Indian spacecraft, the Vikram lander of Indian Space Research Organisation's Chandrayaan-3 mission, landed there on August 23. What does it mean? The failure of Russian lunar mission coincided with the success of Indian mission to Moon. Also read | Chandrayaan-3 is success: A soft landing for Vikram lander, giant leap for India's space odyssey The failure underscored the decline of Russia’s space power since the Soviet Union heydays of Cold War competition when Moscow was the first to launch a satellite to orbit the Earth – Sputnik 1, in 1957 – and Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to travel into space in 1961. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Here's how Russia's Moon mission lost out to India's Chandrayaan-3

Here, we bring you the news that is trending across WION's social media platforms- The Indian Embassy in South Korea recently shared an exciting development. South Korea's Lunar Orbiter Danuri captured images of Vikram Lander's landing site on the moon's surface. The embassy wrote on X sharing the wonderful snap taken by South Korea's lunar orbiter Danuri of Shiv Shakti Point which is the landing site of Chandrayaan-3 on the South Pole of the moon's surface.

Chandrayaan-3 landing site 'Shiv Shakti' clicked by South Korea's Danuri orbiter

India's moon mission has captivated the attention of the entire world and now ISRO says that the Pragyan Rover and the Vikram Lander, the stars on the moon of the Chandrayaan-3 mission have been put into sleep mode on the moon. This is after the mission completed all its objectives but that's not the end of the historic Mission. See how the Lander and the Rover have entered sleep mode waiting for the next Dawn on the moon.

Chandrayaan-3: Vikram Rover hops on the moon, bids good night

The Vikram lander on Chandrayaan-3 observed a "natural" seismic event on the Moon, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Thursday. According to the space agency, the motions of the rover and other payloads have been recorded by one lander payload, the Instrument for the Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA).

Chandrayaan-3's Vikram Lander detects unknown seismic activity on the moon

Here, we bring you the news that is trending across WION's social media platforms- India's Pragyan Rover which is on the Moon as part of the Chandrayaan-3 mission encountered a massive four-meter diameter crater on the lunar surface. The Rover has so far traversed around eight meters of the lunar surface since the Lander landed and will continue to study the moon's geology and atmosphere at the unexplored southern pole. It has a lifespan of only 14 Earth days that's equivalent to one lunar day and has 10 more days to go.

Chandrayaan-3: Pragyan rover stumbles upon giant crater on the moon's south pole

The race to the moon has just begun. After India's successful launch of Chandrayaan-3. Japan is also embarking on a moon mission. This mission is named the “Smart Lander for Investigating Moon” or SLIM.

Japan's Moon Sniper: What is a pinpoint landing on the Moon?

<p><strong>Chandrayaan-3 'Shiv Shakti':</strong> After the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon's south pole on August 23, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (August 26) announced that the landing point will be called "<strong>Shiv Shakti"</strong>.&nbsp;He added that there was also a discussion over naming the point where Chandrayaan-2 crashed in 2019 and the point has been named "Tiranga".</p>

<p>The announcements were made when Prime Minister Modi was at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) headquarters in Bengaluru, where he congratulated the scientists who contributed to the moon mission's success.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/after-moon-isro-aims-for-the-sun-with-its-aditya-l1-mission-launch-due-in-september-details-629630">After moon, ISRO aims for the Sun with its Aditya-L1 mission. Launch due in September | Check details</a></strong><br />
&nbsp;<br />
During a press address, ISRO Chief K Somnath said, "The country has every right to name the landing site. The naming of the landing site is not the first incident. Several Indian names are already there on the Moon. We have a Sarabhai crater on the Moon. Other countries have also named places related to their scientific accomplishment. All places related to even minor experiments would be named. That is a tradition."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Chandrayaan-3 Mission:<br />
🔍What's new here?<br />
<br />
Pragyan rover roams around Shiv Shakti Point in pursuit of lunar secrets at the South Pole 🌗! <a href="https://t.co/1g5gQsgrjM">pic.twitter.com/1g5gQsgrjM</a></p>
— ISRO (@isro) <a href="https://twitter.com/isro/status/1695378531243454712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, it is to be noted that the "Moon" does not come under any jurisdiction. Why? It is because of the Moon Treaty. What is it and what are its rules, here we explain.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;PM Modi salutes ISRO scientists: India celebrates Chandrayaan-3's success</strong></p>

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<h2><strong>Why can no one own the Moon?</strong></h2>

<p>The Moon Treaty or the Outer Space Treaty was signed during the Cold War era, whose primary objective is "to provide the necessary legal principles for governing the behaviour of states, international organisations, and individuals who explore celestial bodies other than Earth, as well as administration of the resources that exploration may yield."</p>

<p>However, Article 2 of the Treaty states, "Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means." In simple words, this means that the countries have to cooperate in their space exploration activities and cannot stake a claim to the Moon.</p>

<h2><strong>Who names the landing sites on the Moon?</strong></h2>

<p>The International Astronomical Union (IAU) founded in 1919 is the nodal body to standardise the nomenclature of celestial objects. Its tasks involve forcing an executive committee, divisions, commissions and working groups that comprise astronomers from across the world.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On naming the space surfaces, it says, "When the first images of the surface of a planet or satellite are obtained, new themes for naming features are chosen and names of a few important features are proposed, usually by the appropriate IAU Task Group in collaboration with the mission team."</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-isro-shares-first-video-of-pragyan-rover-ramping-down-vikram-lander-629033"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Watch | Chandrayaan-3: ISRO shares first selfie video of Pragyan rover ramping down Vikram lander</strong></a></p>

<p>"As higher resolution images and maps become available, names for additional features may be requested by investigators mapping or describing specific surfaces or geological formations."</p>

<p>After following the protocols, the IAU’s Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN) approves the proposed names and posts them on its website. Objections to the names can be raised by mailing the IAU General Secretary within three months.</p>

<p>However, this process can take some time. For example, China’s Moon mission Chang’e 5 landed on the lunar surface on 1 December 2020. The landing site was named Statio Titanchuan. The name was approved by the IAU in May 2021.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>What are the norms for naming the sites?</strong></h2>

<p>The IAU made some suggestions while proposing the names. It stated that for planetary objects, the names should be simple, clear, unambiguous and should not copy existing names.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"No names having political, military or religious significance may be used, except for names of political figures prior to the 19th century."</p>

<p>"Commemoration of persons on planetary bodies should not normally be a goal in itself, but may be employed in special circumstances… Persons being so honoured must have been deceased for at least three years, before a proposal may be submitted."</p>

<h2><strong>Has India ever named sites on the Moon?</strong></h2>

<p>The answer to this question is yes. Before Chandrayaan-3 and 2, India named a site on the Moon. In 2008, following the Chandrayaan-1 probe that crashed, the spot was named “Jawahr Sthal” after the first Prime Minister of independent India Jawaharlal Nehru.&nbsp;</p>

<p>All eyes are on ISRO's Pragyaan rover which is on a 14-day exploration of the lunar surface. The rover will collect information and send it to the space agency. Notably, India has created history by becoming the first country to land a probe on the far side of the Moon.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
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Chandrayaan-3 'Shiv Shakti': After the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon's south pole on August 23, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (August 26) announced that the landing point will be called "Shiv Shakti".

Chandrayaan-3 'Shiv Shakti': After the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon's south pole on August 23, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (August 26) announced that the landing point will be called "Shiv Shakti". He added that there was also a discussion over naming the point where Chandrayaan-2 crashed in 2019 and the point has been named "Tiranga". The announcements were made when Prime Minister Modi was at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) headquarters in Bengaluru, where he congratulated the scientists who contributed to the moon mission's success. Also read | After moon, ISRO aims for the Sun with its Aditya-L1 mission. Launch due in September | Check details During a press address, ISRO Chief K Somnath said, "The country has every right to name the landing site. The naming of the landing site is not the first incident. Several Indian names are already there on the Moon. We have a Sarabhai crater on the Moon. Other countries have also named places related to their scientific accomplishment. All places related to even minor experiments would be named. That is a tradition." Chandrayaan-3 Mission: 🔍What's new here? Pragyan rover roams around Shiv Shakti Point in pursuit of lunar secrets at the South Pole 🌗! pic.twitter.com/1g5gQsgrjM — ISRO (@isro) August 26, 2023 × However, it is to be noted that the "Moon" does not come under any jurisdiction. Why? It is because of the Moon Treaty. What is it and what are its rules, here we explain. WATCH | PM Modi salutes ISRO scientists: India celebrates Chandrayaan-3's success Why can no one own the Moon? The Moon Treaty or the Outer Space Treaty was signed during the Cold War era, whose primary objective is "to provide the necessary legal principles for governing the behaviour of states, international organisations, and individuals who explore celestial bodies other than Earth, as well as administration of the resources that exploration may yield." However, Article 2 of the Treaty states, "Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means." In simple words, this means that the countries have to cooperate in their space exploration activities and cannot stake a claim to the Moon. Who names the landing sites on the Moon? The International Astronomical Union (IAU) founded in 1919 is the nodal body to standardise the nomenclature of celestial objects. Its tasks involve forcing an executive committee, divisions, commissions and working groups that comprise astronomers from across the world. On naming the space surfaces, it says, "When the first images of the surface of a planet or satellite are obtained, new themes for naming features are chosen and names of a few important features are proposed, usually by the appropriate IAU Task Group in collaboration with the mission team." Also read | Watch | Chandrayaan-3: ISRO shares first selfie video of Pragyan rover ramping down Vikram lander "As higher resolution images and maps become available, names for additional features may be requested by investigators mapping or describing specific surfaces or geological formations." After following the protocols, the IAU’s Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN) approves the proposed names and posts them on its website. Objections to the names can be raised by mailing the IAU General Secretary within three months. However, this process can take some time. For example, China’s Moon mission Chang’e 5 landed on the lunar surface on 1 December 2020. The landing site was named Statio Titanchuan. The name was approved by the IAU in May 2021. What are the norms for naming the sites? The IAU made some suggestions while proposing the names. It stated that for planetary objects, the names should be simple, clear, unambiguous and should not copy existing names. "No names having political, military or religious significance may be used, except for names of political figures prior to the 19th century." "Commemoration of persons on planetary bodies should not normally be a goal in itself, but may be employed in special circumstances… Persons being so honoured must have been deceased for at least three years, before a proposal may be submitted." Has India ever named sites on the Moon? The answer to this question is yes. Before Chandrayaan-3 and 2, India named a site on the Moon. In 2008, following the Chandrayaan-1 probe that crashed, the spot was named “Jawahr Sthal” after the first Prime Minister of independent India Jawaharlal Nehru. All eyes are on ISRO's Pragyaan rover which is on a 14-day exploration of the lunar surface. The rover will collect information and send it to the space agency. Notably, India has created history by becoming the first country to land a probe on the far side of the Moon. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

EXPLAINED | Chandrayaan-3's landing site is named Shiv Shakti. Here's how these points are named

<p>Japan's launch of an H-IIA rocket, carrying a moon lander into space, has been postponed due to unfavourable wind conditions in the upper atmosphere, according to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), the operator of the rocket, media reports said. The announcement was made through MHI's launch services unit on the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, just 24 minutes before the scheduled launch time. The mission was cancelled "because it was confirmed that the upper wind does not satisfy the constraints at launch," MHI's launch services unit said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The launch was planned to take place at 9:26 am local time (0026 GMT) on Monday (August 28) from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan, operated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).</p>

<p>JAXA, during its live YouTube stream, indicated that further information would be provided by MHI.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/french-authorities-to-ban-wearing-islamic-abayas-in-schools-629795">French authorities to ban wearing Islamic abayas in schools</a></p>

<h2>Third failed attempt&nbsp;</h2>

<p>This is Japan's third failed moon mission. Japan's previous endeavours include an unsuccessful endeavour last year when they sought to achieve a lunar landing with the Omotenashi probe, transported by NASA's Artemis 1. Regrettably, this mission encountered setbacks leading to a loss of communication.</p>

<p>In the second failed attempt in April this year, a Japanese start-up ispace faced a setback in its ambitious aspiration to become the pioneering private enterprise to successfully land on the Moon. Unfortunately, communication was lost following what the company described as a "hard landing".</p>

<h2><strong>'Moon Sniper'&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Dubbed the "Moon Sniper," JAXA's mission has earned this moniker due to its precise objective of achieving a lunar landing within a mere 100 meters (330 feet) of a designated target. This target range stands in stark contrast to the routine range of several kilometres.</p>

<p>Japan's space exploration journey has been marred by challenges in its rocket launches.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-will-definitely-be-left-alone-zelensky-says-allies-will-not-back-ukraine-in-hostilities-on-russian-soil-629791">'We will definitely be left alone': Zelensky says allies will not back Ukraine in hostilities on Russian soil</a></p>

<p>The H3 model, touted as Japan's next-generation launch vehicle, experienced failures post liftoff in March. Moreover, the usually dependable solid-fuel Epsilon also encountered issues in October last year.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Iranian pop singer Mehdi Yarrahi under scanner for Hijab removal song</strong></p>

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<p>JAXA had plans to kick off Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM's) moon landing sometime between January and February 2024, This comes in the backdrop of the success of India's Chandrayaan-3 lunar exploration mission.</p>

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Japan's launch of an H-IIA rocket, carrying a moon lander into space, has been postponed due to unfavourable wind conditions in the upper atmosphere, according to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), the operator of the rocket, media reports said.

Japan's launch of an H-IIA rocket, carrying a moon lander into space, has been postponed due to unfavourable wind conditions in the upper atmosphere, according to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), the operator of the rocket, media reports said. The announcement was made through MHI's launch services unit on the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, just 24 minutes before the scheduled launch time. The mission was cancelled "because it was confirmed that the upper wind does not satisfy the constraints at launch," MHI's launch services unit said. The launch was planned to take place at 9:26 am local time (0026 GMT) on Monday (August 28) from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan, operated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). JAXA, during its live YouTube stream, indicated that further information would be provided by MHI. Also Read | French authorities to ban wearing Islamic abayas in schools Third failed attempt This is Japan's third failed moon mission. Japan's previous endeavours include an unsuccessful endeavour last year when they sought to achieve a lunar landing with the Omotenashi probe, transported by NASA's Artemis 1. Regrettably, this mission encountered setbacks leading to a loss of communication. In the second failed attempt in April this year, a Japanese start-up ispace faced a setback in its ambitious aspiration to become the pioneering private enterprise to successfully land on the Moon. Unfortunately, communication was lost following what the company described as a "hard landing". 'Moon Sniper' Dubbed the "Moon Sniper," JAXA's mission has earned this moniker due to its precise objective of achieving a lunar landing within a mere 100 meters (330 feet) of a designated target. This target range stands in stark contrast to the routine range of several kilometres. Japan's space exploration journey has been marred by challenges in its rocket launches. Also Read | 'We will definitely be left alone': Zelensky says allies will not back Ukraine in hostilities on Russian soil The H3 model, touted as Japan's next-generation launch vehicle, experienced failures post liftoff in March. Moreover, the usually dependable solid-fuel Epsilon also encountered issues in October last year. Watch | Iranian pop singer Mehdi Yarrahi under scanner for Hijab removal song × JAXA had plans to kick off Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM's) moon landing sometime between January and February 2024, This comes in the backdrop of the success of India's Chandrayaan-3 lunar exploration mission. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Japan postpones 'Moon Sniper' mission due to wind conditions

<p>India on Wednesday (August 23) achieved a historic feat by soft-landing its Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon, becoming the first nation in the world to land a spacecraft on&nbsp;the Lunar South Pole. India’s success soon took the world by storm, including its arch-rival Pakistan.</p>

<p>For a change, Pakistanis have reacted jubilantly to India’s achievement this time around. From mocking the failure of India’s Chandrayaan-2 in 2019 to heaping praises on Chandrayaan-3, they have really come a long way.</p>

<p>For instance, Pakistan’s ex-minister of information and broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry recommended the country’s government televise the event live on national television. In 2019, he had mocked India saying that it was “not wise to venture into an unknown territory”. He had also used the hashtag ‘India Failed’ in his post on X, formerly Twitter.</p>

<p>But of all, the reaction by one witty Pakistani is garnering much attention in India. When one Pakistani YouTuber reached out to him seeking his comments on India’s success on the Moon, he quipped that he&nbsp;was already living on the Moon.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch the video here:</strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Meanwhile, the Sense of Humor of Pakistani People are always top class. This on Chandrayaan <a href="https://t.co/Y127YPeyIv">pic.twitter.com/Y127YPeyIv</a></p>
— Joy (@Joydas) <a href="https://twitter.com/Joydas/status/1694386388014444603?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>In the video, the Pakistani man drew a hilarious comparison between Pakistan and the Moon. In his words, both lacked basic necessities, including water, (cooking) gas, and electricity.</p>

<p>He hilariously implied that Pakistanis need not spend millions to reach the Moon as they were already enduring Moon-like conditions in their nation.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Why is Chandrayaan-3 landing on August 23</strong></p>

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<p>Meanwhile, while reacting to his witty comments, Indians couldn’t stop themselves from appreciating the sense of humour of Pakistanis.</p>

<p>“India landed on moon. Pakistan humour is top class. Wah beii,” commented one user.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/chandrayaan-3-mission-pragyan-rover-safely-traversing-moon-making-indias-mark-on-lunar-soil-exclusive-628579"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;Chandrayaan-3: Pragyan rover traversing Moon since 1:30 am Thursday - Exclusive</strong></a></p>

<p>“Most of the Pakistani people are really funny. Got some humour,” commented another Indian.</p>

<p>V. Krishnan, an X user, posted that the man must be hired by a PR firm for the “positivity and humour.”</p>

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India on Wednesday (August 23) achieved a historic feat by soft-landing its Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon, becoming the first nation in the world to land a spacecraft on the Lunar South Pole.

India on Wednesday (August 23) achieved a historic feat by soft-landing its Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon, becoming the first nation in the world to land a spacecraft on the Lunar South Pole. India’s success soon took the world by storm, including its arch-rival Pakistan. For a change, Pakistanis have reacted jubilantly to India’s achievement this time around. From mocking the failure of India’s Chandrayaan-2 in 2019 to heaping praises on Chandrayaan-3, they have really come a long way. For instance, Pakistan’s ex-minister of information and broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry recommended the country’s government televise the event live on national television. In 2019, he had mocked India saying that it was “not wise to venture into an unknown territory”. He had also used the hashtag ‘India Failed’ in his post on X, formerly Twitter. But of all, the reaction by one witty Pakistani is garnering much attention in India. When one Pakistani YouTuber reached out to him seeking his comments on India’s success on the Moon, he quipped that he was already living on the Moon. Watch the video here: Meanwhile, the Sense of Humor of Pakistani People are always top class. This on Chandrayaan pic.twitter.com/Y127YPeyIv — Joy (@Joydas) August 23, 2023 × In the video, the Pakistani man drew a hilarious comparison between Pakistan and the Moon. In his words, both lacked basic necessities, including water, (cooking) gas, and electricity. He hilariously implied that Pakistanis need not spend millions to reach the Moon as they were already enduring Moon-like conditions in their nation. Watch: Why is Chandrayaan-3 landing on August 23 × Meanwhile, while reacting to his witty comments, Indians couldn’t stop themselves from appreciating the sense of humour of Pakistanis. “India landed on moon. Pakistan humour is top class. Wah beii,” commented one user. Also read: Chandrayaan-3: Pragyan rover traversing Moon since 1:30 am Thursday - Exclusive “Most of the Pakistani people are really funny. Got some humour,” commented another Indian. V. Krishnan, an X user, posted that the man must be hired by a PR firm for the “positivity and humour.” WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

This Pakistan man has the wittiest reaction to India's Chandrayaan-3 success. Watch!

India has created history as the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3 landed safely on the south pole of the moon. Now India's President Droupadi Murmu has announced that the Pragyan Rover has been deployed on the lunar surface. To know more watch this interview with former Deputy Director of ISRO, Arup Dasgupta.

Chandrayaan-3: Pragyan rover will conduct scientific experiments on lunar surface

India has created history as the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3 landed safely on the south pole of the moon. Now India's President Droupadi Murmu has announced that the Pragyan Rover has been deployed on the lunar surface.

Chandrayaan-3: Rover descended from lander & 'took a walk' on the moon

<p>The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) released&nbsp;a mesmerising video showing the moon's surface, captured by the Vikram Lander Imager Camera, just before Chandryaan's historic touchdown on Wednesday&nbsp;(August 23).&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:</strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Here is how the Lander Imager Camera captured the moon's image just prior to touchdown. <a href="https://t.co/PseUAxAB6G">pic.twitter.com/PseUAxAB6G</a></p>
— ISRO (@isro) <a href="https://twitter.com/isro/status/1694713817916473530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<h2><strong>India’s landmark lunar achievement</strong></h2>

<p>In a historic feat, India marked a significant milestone in space exploration as ISRO's ambitious third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, achieved a successful touchdown of its Lander Module (LM) on the lunar surface. This monumental accomplishment not only solidified India's place in space exploration history but also secured its position as the fourth country globally to achieve this remarkable feat. Most notably, India became the first nation to reach the uncharted south pole of Earth's sole natural satellite, the moon.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Chandrayaan-3: Pragyan rover will conduct scientific experiments on lunar surface</strong></p>

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<p>The LM, consisting of the lander named Vikram and the rover named Pragyan, executed a picture-perfect soft landing in the lunar southern polar region during the evening hours of the previous day. This precision landing is a testament to ISRO's engineering excellence and its commitment to lunar exploration.</p>

<p>In a recent update, ISRO announced on August 24&nbsp;that the rover, Pragyan, has successfully descended from the lander, Vikram, marking a significant milestone in the mission. Accompanied by the triumphant statement "India took a walk on the moon," ISRO proudly reported this achievement.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/chandrayaan-3-mission-pragyan-rover-safely-traversing-moon-making-indias-mark-on-lunar-soil-exclusive-628579">Chandrayaan-3: Pragyan rover traversing Moon since 1:30 am Thursday - Exclusive</a></p>

<p>ISRO stated, "Chandrayaan-3 Rover to MOX, ISTRAC, Moon walk begins!"</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) released a mesmerising video showing the moon's surface, captured by the Vikram Lander Imager Camera, just before Chandryaan's historic touchdown on Wednesday (August 23).

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) released a mesmerising video showing the moon's surface, captured by the Vikram Lander Imager Camera, just before Chandryaan's historic touchdown on Wednesday (August 23). WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: Here is how the Lander Imager Camera captured the moon's image just prior to touchdown. pic.twitter.com/PseUAxAB6G — ISRO (@isro) August 24, 2023 × India’s landmark lunar achievement In a historic feat, India marked a significant milestone in space exploration as ISRO's ambitious third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, achieved a successful touchdown of its Lander Module (LM) on the lunar surface. This monumental accomplishment not only solidified India's place in space exploration history but also secured its position as the fourth country globally to achieve this remarkable feat. Most notably, India became the first nation to reach the uncharted south pole of Earth's sole natural satellite, the moon. Also watch | Chandrayaan-3: Pragyan rover will conduct scientific experiments on lunar surface The LM, consisting of the lander named Vikram and the rover named Pragyan, executed a picture-perfect soft landing in the lunar southern polar region during the evening hours of the previous day. This precision landing is a testament to ISRO's engineering excellence and its commitment to lunar exploration. In a recent update, ISRO announced on August 24 that the rover, Pragyan, has successfully descended from the lander, Vikram, marking a significant milestone in the mission. Accompanied by the triumphant statement "India took a walk on the moon," ISRO proudly reported this achievement. Also read | Chandrayaan-3: Pragyan rover traversing Moon since 1:30 am Thursday - Exclusive ISRO stated, "Chandrayaan-3 Rover to MOX, ISTRAC, Moon walk begins!" WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

ISRO releases Moon's footage from minutes before Chandrayaan-3's landing. WATCH

<p><meta charset="utf-8" />As India celebrates the success of the Chandrayaan-3 Lunar landing, the Indian space agency is gearing up for the launch of its maiden mission to study the Sun, in less than two weeks. Known as Aditya-L1, this is a mission where an Indian spacecraft would travel the furthest away from the earth and it would be placed 1.5 million kilometres away, at a vantage point known as Langrangian point 1. "The preparation for Aditya-L1 is going really well. At the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, final checks are being carried out on the spacecraft and the PSLV rocket(mission number C57) for this mission is being assembled," A.Rajarajan, the Director of the spaceport told WION.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Speaking to WION after the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3, he said that the Aditya-L1 mission is to be launched in the first week of September. So far, the Indian space agency has launched six missions in the year 2023. While four of these missions were for India's own national and scientific purposes, two of them have been missions for foreign customers. ISRO has had a great year with successes in all launch missions.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/watch-isro-shares-footage-of-the-moons-surface-just-a-few-minutes-before-chandrayaan-3s-soft-landing-628838">ISRO releases moon's footage from minutes before Chandrayaan-3's landing. WATCH</a></p>

<p>Notably, the launch activity of ISRO had drastically slowed down in 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This had caused delays to several missions and led to a backlog in the activity. Queried about how the spaceport is handling various missions simultaneously, Rajarajan told WION that the team had learnt several lessons during the pandemic and accordingly made their work processes more optimised and efficient. He indicated how ISRO had been able to fulfil both national and commercial missions, while also making arrangements for Indian space sector startups to use their facilities for development and testing activities.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Queried about how the launch calendar looked for the next four months, he said that there could be four launches including Aditya-L1, experimental flights as part of Gaganyaan development programme, followed by PSLV and GSLV launches.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 2022, the Indian Space agency has designated senior Solar Scientist Dr. Sankarasubramanian as the Principal Scientist of the 'Aditya-L1' Mission. He heads the Space Astronomy Group (SAG) of ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre, Bengaluru and has contributed to ISRO missions such as Chandrayaan 1 &amp; 2, AstroSat, in several capacities.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Chandrayaan-3: Pragyan rover will conduct scientific experiments on lunar surface</strong></p>

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<p>Aditya-L1 is the first observatory-class space-based solar mission from India. The spacecraft is to be placed in a halo orbit around the first Lagrange point, L1, of the Sun-Earth system. A satellite around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without occultation/eclipses. This position provides a greater advantage of observing solar activities continuously.&nbsp;</p>

<p dir="ltr">Aditya-L1 carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle detectors. According to ISRO, Four payloads on Aditya-L1 directly view the Sun from the unique vantage point of L1, and the remaining three payloads carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields at the Lagrange point L1.</p>

<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p>

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As India celebrates the success of the Chandrayaan-3 Lunar landing, the Indian space agency is gearing up for the launch of its maiden mission to study the Sun, in less than two weeks.

As India celebrates the success of the Chandrayaan-3 Lunar landing, the Indian space agency is gearing up for the launch of its maiden mission to study the Sun, in less than two weeks. Known as Aditya-L1, this is a mission where an Indian spacecraft would travel the furthest away from the earth and it would be placed 1.5 million kilometres away, at a vantage point known as Langrangian point 1. "The preparation for Aditya-L1 is going really well. At the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, final checks are being carried out on the spacecraft and the PSLV rocket(mission number C57) for this mission is being assembled," A.Rajarajan, the Director of the spaceport told WION. Speaking to WION after the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3, he said that the Aditya-L1 mission is to be launched in the first week of September. So far, the Indian space agency has launched six missions in the year 2023. While four of these missions were for India's own national and scientific purposes, two of them have been missions for foreign customers. ISRO has had a great year with successes in all launch missions. Also read | ISRO releases moon's footage from minutes before Chandrayaan-3's landing. WATCH Notably, the launch activity of ISRO had drastically slowed down in 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This had caused delays to several missions and led to a backlog in the activity. Queried about how the spaceport is handling various missions simultaneously, Rajarajan told WION that the team had learnt several lessons during the pandemic and accordingly made their work processes more optimised and efficient. He indicated how ISRO had been able to fulfil both national and commercial missions, while also making arrangements for Indian space sector startups to use their facilities for development and testing activities. Queried about how the launch calendar looked for the next four months, he said that there could be four launches including Aditya-L1, experimental flights as part of Gaganyaan development programme, followed by PSLV and GSLV launches. In 2022, the Indian Space agency has designated senior Solar Scientist Dr. Sankarasubramanian as the Principal Scientist of the 'Aditya-L1' Mission. He heads the Space Astronomy Group (SAG) of ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre, Bengaluru and has contributed to ISRO missions such as Chandrayaan 1 & 2, AstroSat, in several capacities. Also watch | Chandrayaan-3: Pragyan rover will conduct scientific experiments on lunar surface Aditya-L1 is the first observatory-class space-based solar mission from India. The spacecraft is to be placed in a halo orbit around the first Lagrange point, L1, of the Sun-Earth system. A satellite around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without occultation/eclipses. This position provides a greater advantage of observing solar activities continuously. Aditya-L1 carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle detectors. According to ISRO, Four payloads on Aditya-L1 directly view the Sun from the unique vantage point of L1, and the remaining three payloads carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields at the Lagrange point L1. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Moon mission successful, India's Sun mission Aditya-L1 to be launched in two weeks

Here, we bring you the news that is trending across WION's social media platforms- The Chandrayaan-3 lunar Mission conducted by the Indian Space Research Organization achieved a successful soft landing at 6:04 PM Indian Standard Time on August 23rd. India made a historic achievement becoming the first country to land a spacecraft on the moon's South Pole.

Chandrayaan-3: What makes the south pole of the moon so special?

India has created history as Chandrayaan-3 landed on the moon at around 06:03 PM on Wednesday. Indian Prime Minister Modi joined the live landing of Chandrayaan-3 from South Africa where he is attending the BRICS summit.

Chandrayaan-3 mission: Small step for ISRO, giant leap in space exploration

India has created history as Chandrayaan-3 landed on the moon at around 06:03 PM on Wednesday. Indian Prime Minister Modi joined the live landing of Chandrayaan-3 from South Africa where he is attending the BRICS summit. To know more about the mission, watch this interview with an ISRO space scientist from the Chandrayaan-1 mission, Prof. Narendra Bhandari.

Chandrayaan-3: Historic mission to land on Lunar south pole leaves world in awe

India's Chandrayaan-3 mission is progressing slowly for a lunar touchdown at 6pm IST on the 23rd of August. People pray across the country for Chandrayaan-3's safe landing while schools assemble for a live telecast of the landing.

Special prayers across India for Chandrayaan-3's safe landing

Here, we bring you the news that is trending across WION's social media platforms- India is gearing up for the soft landing of its Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission but the last 20 minutes right before the scheduled landing are set to become the most nail-biting moments of the mission. This is because the last 20 minutes of the mission will comprise an autonomous movement.

Chandrayaan-3: Why the last 20 mins of ISRO's historic mission will be important?

India's Chandrayaan-3 mission is progressing slowly for a lunar touchdown at 6pm IST on the 23rd of August. The LVM3 rocket pushed the Chandrayaan-3 into space. Now within hours from landing let's understand the science behind such precise travel.

Steering Chandrayaan-3 to the moon

India's moon mission is on track to make a soft Landing. The historic Mission would make it only the fourth time in the world to do so but as the Chandrayaan-3 readies itself for the most critical part the landing. WION's Sidharth MP explains more.

Chandrayaan-3 Mission: After Russia fail, all eyes on ISRO's moon landing

India's Chandrayaan-3 mission is progressing slowly for a lunar touchdown at 6pm IST on the 23rd of August. The LVM3 rocket pushed the Chandrayaan-3 into space. Now within hours from landing let's understand the science behind such precise travel. Watch this interview with former Deputy Director of ISRO, Arup Dasgupta.

How ISRO plans to spacefarer to the moon

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