India's Moon mission a model for aspiring space powers

India's budget Moon landing is a model for other countries aspiring to develop their own space programmes, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Saturday while praising the scientists behind the successful mission.

Chandrayaan-3 touched down on the lunar surface on Wednesday, making India the first nation to land an unmanned craft near the largely unexplored lunar South Pole. It also became only the fourth country behind the United States, Russia and China to achieve a soft landing on the Moon.

The success marked the latest milestone in India's ambition. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is slated to launch a three-day crewed mission into Earth's orbit by next year. It also plans a joint mission with Japan to send another probe to the Moon by 2025 and an orbital mission to Venus within the next two years.