The Russian lunar lander, launched earlier this month, was racing to land on Earth’s satellite ahead of an Indian spacecraft, launched on July 14. Both were expected to reach the moon between August 21-23.

Only three governments have managed successful moon landings: the Soviet Union, the US and China, but not on the moon’s South Pole. India and Russia have been racing to be the first countries to land there.

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The lunar South Pole is of particular interest to scientists, who believe the permanently shadowed polar craters may contain water. The frozen water in the rocks could be transformed by future explorers into air and rocket fuel.

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