عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

India Launches Lander, Rover to Explore Moon’s South Pole

In this photo released by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Indian spacecraft Chandrayaan-3, the word for “moon craft” in Sanskrit, stands in preparation for its launch in Sriharikota, India. (Indian Space Research Organisation via AP)
In this photo released by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Indian spacecraft Chandrayaan-3, the word for “moon craft” in Sanskrit, stands in preparation for its launch in Sriharikota, India. (Indian Space Research Organisation via AP)
TT
TT

India Launches Lander, Rover to Explore Moon’s South Pole

In this photo released by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Indian spacecraft Chandrayaan-3, the word for “moon craft” in Sanskrit, stands in preparation for its launch in Sriharikota, India. (Indian Space Research Organisation via AP)
In this photo released by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Indian spacecraft Chandrayaan-3, the word for “moon craft” in Sanskrit, stands in preparation for its launch in Sriharikota, India. (Indian Space Research Organisation via AP)

An Indian spacecraft blazed its way to the far side of the moon Friday in a follow-up mission to its failed effort nearly four years ago to land a rover softly on the lunar surface, the country’s space agency said.
Chandrayaan-3, the word for “moon craft” in Sanskrit, took off from a launch pad in Sriharikota in southern India with an orbiter, a lander and a rover, in a demonstration of India’s emerging space technology. The spacecraft is set to embark on a journey lasting slightly over a month before landing on the moon’s surface later in August.
Applause and cheers swept through mission control at Satish Dhawan Space Center, where the Indian Space Research Organization’s engineers and scientists celebrated as they monitored the launch of the spacecraft. Thousands of Indians cheered outside the mission control center and waved the national flag as they watched the spacecraft rise into the sky, The Associated Press reported.
“Congratulations India. Chandrayaan-3 has started its journey towards the moon,” ISRO Director Sreedhara Panicker Somanath said shortly after the launch.
A successful landing would make India the fourth country — after the United States, the Soviet Union, and China — to achieve the feat.
The six-wheeled lander and rover module of Chandrayaan-3 is configured with payloads that would provide data to the scientific community on the properties of lunar soil and rocks, including chemical and elemental compositions, said Dr. Jitendra Singh, junior minister for Science and Technology.
India’s previous attempt to land a robotic spacecraft near the moon’s little-explored south pole ended in failure in 2019. It entered the lunar orbit but lost touch with its lander that crashed while making its final descent to deploy a rover to search for signs of water. According to a failure analysis report submitted to the ISRO, the crash was caused by a software glitch.
The $140-million mission in 2019 was intended to study permanently shadowed moon craters that are thought to contain water deposits and were confirmed by India’s Chandrayaan-1 mission in 2008.
Somanath said the main objective of the mission this time was a safe and soft landing on the moon. He said the Indian space agency has perfected the art of reaching up to the moon, “but it is the landing that the agency is working on.”

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

Fire Risk and Strong Winds Continue in Southern California with Potential Rain on the Horizon 

A mobile home park destroyed in the Palisades Fire is seen on January 21, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images via AFP)
A mobile home park destroyed in the Palisades Fire is seen on January 21, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images via AFP)
TT
TT

Fire Risk and Strong Winds Continue in Southern California with Potential Rain on the Horizon 

A mobile home park destroyed in the Palisades Fire is seen on January 21, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images via AFP)
A mobile home park destroyed in the Palisades Fire is seen on January 21, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images via AFP)

Parched Southern California was forecast to face more dangerous winds on Wednesday but could get some badly needed rain this weekend, dampening the prospects of another round of killer wildfires though even a small amount of precipitation could create new challenges like toxic ash runoff.

Los Angeles officials were preparing for that prospect even as a small number of residents were allowed to return to the devastated Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas and firefighters quickly controlled small blazes that broke out.

Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order Tuesday to expedite cleanup efforts in burn areas and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants. She ordered crews to remove vegetation, shore up hillsides, install barriers and reinforce roads ahead of the possible weekend rain, which could create mud and debris flows.

“This is to prevent additional damage to areas already ravaged by fire and also to protect our watershed, beaches and ocean from toxic runoff,” Bass said during a news conference.

Los Angeles County supervisors also approved an emergency motion to install flood control infrastructure and expedite and remove sediment in fire-impacted areas.

A 60% to 80% chance of a small amount of rain was forecast for Southern California starting Saturday, with most areas likely getting not more than a third of an inch (0.8 cm), according to Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s office for Los Angeles. However up to an inch (2.5 centimeters) could fall in localized thunderstorms, which would be a worst-case scenario if enough to trigger debris flows on scorched hillsides.

“But even if the rain doesn’t materialize this time, it could be a good practice run for those communities because this will be a threat that they’ll have to deal with for months or years,” Kittell said.

In 2018, Montecito, a town 80 miles (130 kilometers) up the coast from Los Angeles, was ravaged by mudslides after a downpour hit mountain slopes burned bare by a huge wildfire. Twenty-three people died, and hundreds of homes were damaged.

Winds eased somewhat Tuesday afternoon after peaking at 60 mph (96 kph) in many areas, but gusty conditions were expected to return the next two days. Red flag warnings for critical fire risk were extended through 8 p.m. Thursday in LA and Ventura counties.

“Our concern is the next fire, the next spark that causes the next wildfire,” said David Acuna, a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. Another worry was that the two major blazes, the Palisades and Eaton fires, could break their containment lines as firefighters continue to keep watch for hot spots.

Fire engines and water-dropping aircraft allowed crews to swiftly douse several small blazes that popped up in LA and San Diego counties, officials said.

Evacuation orders were lifted for the Friars Fire, which broke out near a San Diego mall, and partially for the Lilac Fire, which burned through dry brush after threatening some structures, Cal Fire said. Nearby crews fully contained the Pala Fire, another small blaze. The Clay fire in Riverside was 40% contained Tuesday night and evacuation orders were lifted.

Southern California Edison preemptively shut off power to more than 60,000 customers in five counties to prevent new fires from being sparked by winds toppling electrical equipment; electricity was later restored to some. The utility was considering precautionary shutoffs for an additional 160,000 customers.

Authorities urged residents to review evacuation plans, prepare emergency kits and be on the lookout for fires and report them quickly.

Bass also warned that winds could carry ash and advised Angelenos to visit the city's website to learn how to protect themselves from toxic air during the latest Santa Ana wind event.

The low humidity, bone-dry vegetation and strong winds came as firefighters continued to battle the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have killed at least 28 people and destroyed more than 14,000 structures since they broke out Jan. 7. Containment of the Palisades Fire reached 63%, and the Eaton Fire was at 89%.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is investigating the causes of the fires but has not released any findings.

Several lawsuits have been filed by people who lost their homes in the Eaton Fire, alleging Southern California Edison equipment sparked the blaze. On Tuesday a judge overseeing one of the lawsuits ordered the utility to produce data from circuits in the area where the fire started.

President Donald Trump, who criticized the response to the wildfires during his inaugural address Monday, has said he will travel to Los Angeles on Friday.