India is about to take a major step in their quest for a meaningful spot in the space race. Some time between 4-5 PM EST today, the nation’s space agency will not only be attempting their first lunar landing, but they will be doing it on a spot where no one has ever been before.
The craft making the attempt is the Chandrayaan-2 lunar lander Vikram. Between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. EDT (2000-2100 GMT, 1:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Sept. 7 IST), the craft is scheduled to touch down on the southern pole of the moon’s surface. The best part is that you can watch it all happen live on the stream below.
The stated mission of the journey is exploration and science. The plan of the Chandrayaan-2 is “to study the mysterious moon from top to bottom, including its topography, mineralogy, exosphere, elemental abundance and even possible seismic activity. With seven instruments aboard the orbiter, three aboard the lander and a further two attached to the rover, there will be no stone left unturned,” According to Space.com.
Source: Space.com