Nation hails ISRO, scientists say India stakeholder in moon exploration talks

From the Indian President to political leaders to scientists to Bollywood celebrities to the Indian cricket team, everyone joined in the celebrations as India became only the fourth nation the world to land on the moon with the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 mission, behind Russia, the US, and China, and the first do so on the moon's south pole.

"I congratulate ISRO and everybody involved in Chandrayaan-3 mission and wish them greater accomplishments ahead," President Draupadi Murmu said in a message. "Scientists have made history with the landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the lunar surface, and made India proud. This is a momentous occasion, an event that happens once in lifetime."

The Congress said this is a "collective success of every Indian" and ISRO's achievement reflects a saga of continuity and is truly fantastic. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge said an elated nation with 140 crore aspirations today witnessed yet another achievement in India's six-decade space programme.

"We are deeply indebted to the remarkable hard work, unparalleled ingenuity and unflinching dedication of our scientists, space engineers, researchers and everyone involved in making this mission a triumph for India," Kharge said.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said, "Congratulations to Team ISRO for today's pioneering feat."

As reported earlier, in a phone call from Johannesburg where he is attending the BRICS summit, prime minister Narendra Modi congratulated ISRO chairman S Somanath on the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission and said he would soon visit Bengaluru to greet the entire team in person.

Leading scientists and experts said this monumental accomplishment not only marks India's indelible imprint on lunar exploration but also demonstrates the prowess of human collaboration, determination, and cutting-edge technology.

Dr Chrisphin Karthick, a scientist at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru, said, "The successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 is a testament to our collective progress towards space travel. It showcases the beauty of unity in diversity as we sail the cosmic seas together."

Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2, which had failed in its lunar phase when its lander Vikram crashed into the surface of the moon while attempting touchdown on 7 September, 2019. The Chandrayaan programme's maiden mission set off in 2008.

Astrophysicist Sandip Chakraborty noted that the significance of Chandrayaan-3's soft landing cannot be overstated. "Soft landing is a start for future activities, such as science of the moon and from the moon. It is a gateway to the outer world," said the director of the Indian Centre for Space Physics, Kolkata.

He emphasised that this achievement propels India into an elite group of spacefaring nations, where it can stake its claim to the moon's scientific and exploratory potential.

"The successful landing imbues confidence in every citizen. Students' ambition increases. No future regulation on the moon can be made without the concurrence of India. It is a paradigm shift in the Indian context," Chakraborty added.

Meanwhile, thousands of users on X (formerly Twitter) also congratulated ISRO and its team for the historic mission, joined by members of India's film fraternity and its cricket team.

"I'm speechless...in tears.. History has been created... What a Proud moment... India India India... #Chandrayaan3 #Chandrayaan3Landing," a user wrote.

The lander landed near the South Pole of the moon after travelling about 3.84 lakh km for over 40 days.

The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft comprises a propulsion module (weighing 2,148 kg), a lander (1,723.89 kg) and a rover (26 kg).