CHANDRAYAAN-3 successful: India lands on the moon |25 August 2023
On August 23, 2023, India became the first country in the world to land a spacecraft near the south pole of the moon, and only the fourth country to land on the moon.
Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi virtually joined the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) team to witness the successful lunar landing of ‘CHANDRAYAAN-3’ mission. In his address after the successful landing, Prime Minister Modi congratulated Team ISRO and all the scientists of the country who have worked tirelessly for years to make this mission a success. He also thanked the 140 crore Indians who were filled with enthusiasm, joy and emotion for celebrating this historic moment.
Prime Minister Modi said “India’s successful moon mission is not India’s alone” emphasising that this achievement is significant for all. “This is a year in which the world is witnessing India’s G-20 presidency. Our approach of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ is resonating across the globe. This human-centric approach that we represent has been welcomed universally. Our moon mission is also based on the same human-centric approach. Therefore, this success belongs to all of humanity. And it will help moon missions by other countries in the future. I am confident that all countries in the world, including those from the Global South are capable of achieving such feats. We can all Aspire for the moon and beyond”.
World leaders, scientists and science enthusiasts across the globe joined together in congratulating India on this historic achievement. These included the President of Maldives, Prime Minister of Bhutan, President of Maldives, Prime Minister of Nepal, Prime Minister of Norway, Prime Minister of Jamaica, President of Madagascar, Prime Minister of Spain, President of UAE, Vice President of UAE, Prime Minister of Armenia, President of the EU Commission, among others.
The foreign affairs department of Seychelles and the Seychelles Meteorological Authority also conveyed their congratulations.
Apart from a propulsion module, CHANDRAYAAN-3 consists of an indigenous Lander module named ‘Vikram’ and a Rover named ‘Pragyan’. The objectives of the mission include demonstration of safe and soft landing on the surface, Rover deployment and in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface. This mission is set to inspire the ISRO teams already working on several future space missions that especially include ‘Gaganyaan’ and ‘Aditya L-1’ that are missions for India’s first human space flight and a detailed study of the Sun respectively.
Contributed