Chandrayaan-2’s importance: Why soft landing on Moon's south pole special?

New Delhi, Aug 22: The Chandrayaan-2 mission was launched on July 22, 2019, using a GLSV Mark III launch vehicle from the (Satish Dhawan Space Center) in Sriharikota. Vikram lander is expected to soft land on Moon on 6 September 2019. On Wednesday, ISRO performed the second lunar bound orbit manoeuver for Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft that is currently in the lunar orbit.

Moon provides the best linkage to Earth's early history. It offers an undisturbed historical record of the inner Solar system environment. Though there are a few mature models, the origin of Moon still needs further explanations. Extensive mapping of lunar surface to study variations in lunar surface composition is essential to trace back the origin and evolution of the Moon. Evidence for water molecules discovered by Chandrayaan-1, requires further studies on the extent of water molecule distribution on the surface, below the surface and in the tenuous lunar exosphere to address the origin of water on Moon.

Here's why soft landing on Moon's South-pole is significant: