On a quiet afternoon of July 14, Orak, Verum, Scorch, and Felix were waiting with bated breath. It was almost time. The clock showed 2:35 PM. “10…9…8…7…,” Verum’s crystal ball chimed. “It’s happening,” Felix said, giddy with excitement. “3…2…1…AND WE HAVE LIFT-OFF!” the crystal ball voiced.
“Chandrayaan-3, India’s Moon mission, has been successfully launched into space,” Verum announced.
“Woohooo,” the four Mysticals clapped and cheered.
“Now, can you tell us about this mission?” Felix looked at Verum.
“Gladly!” Verum smiled.
Verum said, “Chandrayaan-3 is India’s third mission to the Moon. It took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. It will land on the Moon in around 42 days.”
“India is aiming to be the first country to land near the risky south pole region of the Moon!” Orak gushed.
Scorch was deep in thought. She said, “If I remember correctly, India attempted the same in its last Moon mission too, right?”
“Yes, Scorch,” Verum said, “It was Chandrayaan-2. But that mission was only half successful. It failed to land safely on the surface of the Moon. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) fixed all the glitches and launched Chandrayaan-3.”
“What will Chandrayaan-3 do on the Moon?” Felix said.
“The south pole region of the Moon hasn’t been explored much. Chandrayaan-3 is carrying a rover named Pragyaan to the Moon. Once the landing is successful, Pragyaan will study the Moon’s surface and send data back to the scientists on Earth,” Verum said.
“If successful, India will only be the fourth country to land on the Moon, after the United States, Russia, and China,” Orak said.
“Please be successful. Please be successful,” Felix crossed his fingers and muttered.