People across the country were glued to television screens and said prayers as the craft approached the moon’s surface. Anticipation was feverish, with banner headlines across newspapers, news channels running countdowns and children waving the Indian flag as they waited.
It was a historic moment for the world’s most populous nation, as it closed in on milestones set by global space powers.
The Chandrayaan-3 is expected to remain functional for two weeks, running a series of experiments including analysis of the mineral composition of the lunar surface.