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[00:00.41] India became the fourth country to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon on Wednesday.

[00:08.64] It also became the first country to land a spacecraft near the moon’s south pole.

[00:17.14] Its moon lander, called Chandrayaan-3, touched down near the moon’s south pole just after 6 p.m. in India.

[00:28.30] The landing brought cheers and applause from space scientists who were watching in the control center in city of Bengaluru.

[00:40.52] After a failed landing almost four years ago, India joined the United States, the Soviet Union and China as the only countries to send a spacecraft to the moon.

[00:54.86] "This moment is unforgettable.

[00:57.52] It is phenomenal.

[00:59.38] This is a victory cry of a new India," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

[01:05.75] “India is on the moon,” said S. Somanath, the head of the Indian Space Research Organization.

[01:15.58] The moon’s south pole is thought to be an important area for exploration.

[01:22.22] Scientists believe it has important resources, including frozen water and minerals.

[01:30.45] Just days earlier, Russia’s Luna-25 spacecraft tried to land in the same area but spun out of control and crashed.

[01:41.88] It would have been Russia’s first moon landing in 47 years.

[01:48.78] People across India gathered in shops, offices, restaurants and their homes to watch the landing on television.

[01:58.08] The name Chandrayaan means “moon craft” in the Sanskrit language.

[02:06.31] The Indian Space Research Organization discussed the mission ahead of the landing.

[02:12.68] The organization called the possible landing “a remarkable milestone … a significant step forward for Indian science, engineering, technology and industry.”

[02:25.16] The group discussed the “sense of pride” that comes from the success and suggested it will lead to more innovation from India.

[02:35.53] The previous landing attempt broke down because of a software problem, according to India’s space organization.

[02:45.09] The moon vehicle will take up to one day to come out of the spacecraft and will operate for two weeks.

[02:53.59] It will run experiments on the minerals on the moon’s surface, Somanath said.

[02:59.16] Observers say the successful landing shows India’s interest in demonstrating its strength in technology and space exploration.

[03:09.26] The landing should be an important part of Modi’s campaign to keep his government in power leading up to the country’s general election in 2024.

[03:21.48] Many countries want to know about the moon’s south pole because it could hold resources that may help future space missions.

[03:31.04] Other countries and private companies are trying to land there.

[03:36.35] The Indian landing comes after the failed Russian mission, plus recent crashes by spacecraft from both Japan and Israel.

[03:46.71] Japan will launch another mission this weekend.

[03:49.90] Two private U.S. companies have attempts planned by the end of 2023.

[03:56.81] And the American space agency NASA hopes to send astronauts to the moon’s south pole in coming years.