/sci/ - Science & Math

>>15684436
https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/08/after-russias-failure-india-is-next-in-line-to-attempt-a-moon-landing/

> If all goes according to plan, the Chandrayaan 3 lander—named Vikram—will settle softly onto the lunar surface at 8:34 am EDT (12:34 UTC) Wednesday, redeeming India's failed landing attempt on the Chandrayaan 2 mission in 2019.

> But for the last 47 years, reaching the Moon's surface in one piece has proven to be an impossible task for any landing craft that wasn't built in China. Since 2013, China has racked up three successful landings with its robotic space missions, including the first controlled touchdown on the Moon's far side and an ambitious sample return mission in 2020.

> Russia's Luna 24 mission returned Moon rocks to Earth with a robotic spacecraft in 1976. Since then, it's been all China. Privately funded landers led by Israeli and Japanese teams failed during their descents to the lunar surface in 2019 and in April of this year, and there was the attempt made by India's Chandrayaan 2 mission four years ago.

> Two more US-built landers developed under contract with NASA by two commercial companies—Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines—appear on track for launch before the end of the year, assuming a satisfactory conclusion to final ground tests, and in the case of Astrobotic, the readiness of United Launch Alliance's new Vulcan rocket. A second Intuitive Machines lunar lander, previously set for launch toward the end of this year, has now been delayed into 2024.

> Japan is also poised to launch its first lunar lander mission later this week—liftoff is scheduled for Friday night, US time—but that spacecraft won't be in position to touch down on the Moon for about four to six months.