New video gives first glimpse at the south side of the moon

WATCH: First look at the moon's south side The world is getting the first look at the dark side of the moon after India landed the Chandrayaan-3 near the south pole.

Humanity is getting its first look at the surface of the moon's south side following the successful landing of India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) says its lunar rover has “commenced” operations and released new footage showing the unmanned vehicle rolling down onto the moon’s surface.

According to the ISRO, the rover will use solar panels to keep itself powered during exploration and will conduct experiments on the lunar surface.

India became the first country to land a spacecraft near the lunar south pole on Wednesday – with scientists hoping that the uncharted territory could hold vital reserves of frozen water.

CTV News' Science and Technology Specialist Dan Riskin says mineral deposits near the moon's south pole could eventually allow a permanent base to be set up on the surface – a key need if humanity wants to reach Mars.

"Mars is harder because it's farther," Riskin told CTV News Channel on Wednesday. "But you can test different ideas and technologies on the moon."

Click the video at the top of this article for the full video showing the Chandrayaan-3 reach the lunar surface and deploy its Pragyaan rover.