India over the moon as ISRO goes the distance
economictimes.indiatimes.comChandrayaan-3, near the south pole of the moon.
The success of India’s third lunar mission makes it only the fourth country to achieve the milestone after the US, Russia and China.
As lander Vikram, touched down at the proposed landing site 70 metres near the south pole at 6.04 pm, it marked the culmination of the work of decades by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), evoking awe and winning plaudits from an array of global and local admirers.
“India is on the Moon,” said chairman S Somanath to the sound of resounding cheers that erupted at the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at Isro’s Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru.
Terming the moment as “unforgettable,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who viewed the landing live from Johannesburg, said, “When we see such a history being made before our eyes, life becomes blessed. Such historical events become the eternal consciousness of a nation’s life.”
Noting that India will soon launch the Aditya L1 mission, the prime minister said, “Even the Sun is not far away.”
Speaking to the reporters after the monumental achievement, the ISRO chief attributed the success of Chandrayaan-3 to project director P Veeramuthuvel and mission directors M Srikanth and Kalpana K, and M Sankaran, director of the UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru.
As soon as the landing was confirmed, MOX erupted in cheers, handshakes, and smiles.
