Above: The moon might provide materials for future space missions. CREDIT: NASA

India on Aug. 23 became the first country to successfully land on the south pole of the moon.

But what have they done lately?

In the week since the landing, India’s Vikram lander confirmed the presence of sulfur and other elements, including iron, titanium and calcium, the Indian Space Research Organization says on its website.

The rover over its expected 14-day mission is also looking for signs of ice that might eventually produce rocket fuel or provide human lunar explorers with drinking water.

The Indian space program is not resting on its laurels during the Vikram lander’s mission. It has scheduled a Sept. 2 launch of the Aditya L1 spacecraft for the first Indian space-based study of the sun.

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