India has become the fourth country to land on the moon, after the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 touched down on Wednesday.

The nation celebrated as the spacecraft landed at the moon’s south pole, becoming the first country ever to land there, following Russia’s failed attempt less than a week prior.

The mission is expected to last two weeks, searching for water to support future moon and Mars explorations. A set of experiments will be conducted, testing frozen water from deep within craters and trenches for its drinkability and whether it can be converted into rocket fuel.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that history has been made.

“This moment is unforgettable. It is phenomenal. It is the call of a developed India,” he said.

“It is the victory call for a new India.”

Since early August, the ISRO has conducted a number of missions to prepare the spacecraft for a “soft landing” on the moon.

In 2019, India’s mission to the moon failed after contact with the Chandrayaan-2’s lander was lost.

Ajey Lele, a senior fellow at India’s Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses says that the failure was a learning experience.

“Failure is part of the game, and India was attempting something it had never attempted before, had no experience in,” he said.

Following the landing’s success, the chief of the ISRO hopes to complete a manned lunar mission next.

Photo: Moon by Greg Hewgill available HERE and used under a Creative Commons license. This image has not been modified.