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Shiv Shakti Point: India’s Historic Achievement on the Moon in 2023
Shiv Shakti Point: India has made history by landing its Chandrayaan-3 mission on the south pole of the Moon, a region that has never been explored before. The mission, which was launched on July 14, 2023, successfully touched down on August 23, 2023, at a site named Shiv Shakti Point.
What is Shiv Shakti Point?
Shiv Shakti Point is the name given to the landing site of the Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander, which is also called Vikram. The site was named by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 26, 2023, at the ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru.
Shiv Shakti Point is located on the coordinates 69.367621°S 32.348126°E and it lies between Manzinus C and Simpelius N craters. The name Shiv Shakti is derived from the names of Shiva and Shakti, who are two of the principal Hindu deities. Shiva represents the supreme consciousness and Shakti represents the divine feminine energy.
Why is Shiv Shakti Point important?
Shiv Shakti Point is important because it is the first time that a spacecraft has landed on the lunar south pole, which is considered to be a scientifically rich and challenging terrain. The south pole has craters that are permanently shadowed and may contain water ice and other volatiles. The south pole also receives more sunlight than other regions of the Moon, which can provide more power and thermal stability to the spacecraft.
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The Chandrayaan-3 mission aims to study the lunar surface, subsurface and atmosphere using a lander, a rover and an orbiter. The lander carries four scientific instruments: a seismometer, a thermal probe, a Langmuir probe and a laser retroreflector. The rover, named Pragyan, carries two cameras and a spectrometer. The orbiter carries eight instruments, including a high-resolution camera, a radar, a spectrometer and a particle analyzer.
The mission has already achieved two of its three objectives: soft landing on the Moon and deploying the rover. The third objective is to communicate with the orbiter for one lunar day (14 Earth days).
What are the latest updates from Shiv Shakti Point?
ISRO has released several images and videos of the lander and the rover from Shiv Shakti Point. The images show the lander’s legs, solar panels, antennas and flags of India and ISRO. The videos show the rover moving around the lander, leaving its tracks on the lunar soil.
ISRO has also announced that the rover has reached another landmark on the Moon, called Jawahar Point. Jawahar Point is named after Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister and a visionary leader who supported the development of science and technology in India. Jawahar Point is located about 500 meters away from Shiv Shakti Point and is expected to reveal more secrets of the Moon.
What is the significance of Jawahar Point?
Jawahar Point is significant because it is one of the highest points on the lunar south pole, with an elevation of about 4 kilometers above the average lunar surface. It offers a panoramic view of the surrounding craters and mountains, as well as a clear line of sight to Earth for communication purposes. Jawahar Point also has potential deposits of water ice and other minerals that could be useful for future exploration and colonization of the Moon.
Conclusion
Shiv Shakti Point is a proud achievement for India and a milestone for humanity’s exploration of the Moon. It showcases India’s scientific prowess and technological innovation in space. It also inspires millions of people across the world to pursue their dreams and aspirations in science and beyond.