17-year-old helps name rover

Tayyab Karim, a 17-year-old from Bahawalnagar, emerged as the winner.

Race to the lunar south pole

  • India | Chandrayaan-3: In August 2023, India became the first country to land a spacecraft in the Moon’s south polar region. Its Pragyan rover explored the surface and carried out scientific measurements.

  • Russia | Luna-25: Russia attempted to reach the south polar region in August 2023, but Luna-25 crashed into the Moon during preparations for landing.

  • US | Artemis: NASA’s Artemis programme aims to return astronauts to the Moon and conduct exploration around the lunar south polar region.

  • China | Chang’e-8: Planned for 2029, Chang’e-8 will explore the lunar south pole and test technologies intended to support longer-term scientific activity on the Moon.

  • Pakistan | Jinnah-1: Pakistan’s first indigenous lunar rover is scheduled to travel aboard Chang’e-8. It will study the lunar surface, plasma and radiation and conduct experiments relevant to future exploration.

  • WHY THE SOUTH POLE?: Permanently shadowed craters near the lunar south pole may contain deposits of water ice. That water could potentially support astronauts and, in the longer term, be broken down into hydrogen and oxygen for fuel and breathable oxygen — making the region strategically important for future lunar bases.

A Senior Associate Editor with more than 30 years in the media, Stephen N.R. curates, edits and publishes impactful stories for Gulf News — both in print and online — focusing on Middle East politics, student issues and explainers on global topics. Stephen has spent most of his career in journalism, working behind the scenes — shaping headlines, editing copy and putting together newspaper pages with precision. For the past many years, he has brought that same dedication to the Gulf News digital team, where he curates stories, crafts explainers and helps keep both the web and print editions sharp and engaging.