Chandrayaan-3 Vikram Lander: Jealous China takes space rivalry with India to the Moon

A jealous China states that the historic Chandrayaan-3 Vikram Lander did not land anywhere close to the lunar south pole. It says that the ISRO achievement is overstated.

India made a record-breaking lunar landing by landing on the south pole of the moon for the first time ever surpassing China's previous record, making the country jealous of India’s achievements. 

According to the top Chinese scientist Ouyang Ziyuan, the Chandrayaan-3 landing site, situated at a latitude of 69 degrees south, was significantly distant from the pole.

The official defined it as the area between 88.5 and 90 degrees. He said, “The landing site of Chandrayaan-3 is not at the lunar south pole, not in the lunar south pole region, nor is it near the lunar south pole region.”

Ouyang claims that the ISRO spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 Vikram Lander landing site was 619 kilometres away from the South Pole region.

The Global Times quoted Pang Zhihao, a Beijing-based senior space expert, as saying that China has more advanced technology for such space missions. 

According to reports, India’s Chandrayaan-3 Vikram Lander went closer than any other previous mission spacecraft. 

China's Chang'e 4 landed on the moon in 2019, around 45 degrees south. The NASA probe Surveyor 7, reached the moon in 1968, landing at approximately 41 degrees south.

Just before the Chandrayaan-3 mission landing, Russia’s spacecraft faced a massive failure while trying to land on the lunar south pole and crashed.

Reaching the south region of the Moon has sparked massive rivalry among countries as the area might have ice reserves, which could support future lunar missions.

In the coming years, the US and China are planning to launch lunar missions to the Moon’s south pole.