India first to land near moon’s South Pole after Russia fails

The successful mission aids India’s standing in the space race and has boosted a slew of space stocks

Students and staff members watch live telecast of lunar landing of Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the south pole of the Moon, at Osmania University in Hyderabad. Picture: Getty Images

India became the first country to land a spacecraft near the moon’s south pole after Russia’s attempt at a lunar touch down in the same area ended in failure following an engine malfunction.

Chandrayaan-3 — India’s spacecraft that launched last month — achieved a soft landing at 6:04 p.m. local time on Wednesday, after Russia’s Luna-25 crashed into the moon on Sunday. A rover, named Pragyan, or wisdom, is set to analyze the chemical makeup ...