Why it’s a big deal that India beat Russia in the new race to the moon

The following is an extract from our monthly Launchpad newsletter, in which resident space expert Leah Crane journeys through the solar system and beyond. You can sign up for Launchpad for free here.

Over the past several weeks, the destination on everybody’s mind has been the moon. Russia’s Luna 25 lander launched on 11 August and then crash-landed on 19 August. India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission, which launched back in July and has been orbiting the moon for …