India's Chandrayaan-3 Lands on Lunar Surface

Facts

On Wednesday, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully landed a spacecraft near the south pole of the moon in a historic moment that drew cheers from watching parties around the country.¹
The landing makes India the fourth nation to make a soft landing on the moon, joining the former Soviet Union, the US, and China.²
India is the first country to land on the moon's south pole, where scientists believe frozen water could supply fuel and drinking water for future missions.³
This is India's second attempt to land on the moon following a failed attempt in 2019. The Chandrayaan-3 mission comes just days after Russia's first moon mission in almost 50 years, destined for the same region, crashed on the lunar surface.³
The Chandrayaan-3 mission, developed with a budget of less than $75M, consists of a propulsion module, lander, and rover. The spacecraft carries seven scientific instruments to demonstrate safe landing and roving on the moon's surface.⁴
Many applauded India's successful landing on the moon as an indication of the country's emergence as a space power as the government looks to promote investment in private space launches and related satellite-based businesses.⁵

Narrative A, as provided by Business Line. Chandrayaan-3's soft landing on the moon's south pole is a historic moment for India and a huge boost for its space program. This is just the beginning, as the success gives India confidence to configure more missions to explore Mars and beyond.
Narrative B, as provided by CNN. This milestone doesn't just signal a success for India but also magnifies Russia's recent failure. Without a doubt, this mission marks the beginning of a new pecking order in space exploration, with Moscow slowly but surely losing its footing in the race.