‘India is on the moon’: ISRO chief S Somanath celebrates Chandrayaan-3's triumph on lunar landing

"We have achieved soft landing on moon. India is on the Moon,"proclaimed the Chief of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), S. Somanath, following the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 lander module on the Moon's south pole. This achievement makes India the first nation to attain this historic milestone and puts an end to the disappointment stemming from the Chandrayaan-2 crash landing four years ago.

"India is on the Moon": ISRO chief S Somanath as Chandrayaan 3 lander module Vikram makes safe and soft landing on the Moon #ISRO #Chandrayaan3 #IndiaOnTheMoon pic.twitter.com/DsN06ky0W8 — Mohammed Vali (@Mohamme09678378) August 23, 2023

He thanked PM Modi for being a part of the successful journey. He also thankedP Veeramuthuvel, Project Director, Srikant, Missions Operations Director and other members of the Chandrayaan-3 team.

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WATCH : Immediately After The Success Of #Chandrayaan3, PM Shri @narendramodi
Telephoned ISRO Chief S. Somanath Ji and Congratulated Him. 😍🇮🇳 #IndiaOnTheMoon #VikramLander #ProudMoment pic.twitter.com/m6J5UdKTpd — ModiForPM (@ModiforPMOrg) August 23, 2023

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the people behind this mission," he said.

In a virtual address to the scientists, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his congratulations to the nation, deeming this a historic moment that heralds India's progress. PM Modi, who is currently in South Africa for the BRICS Summit, proudly waved the tricolour as Chandrayaan-3 accomplished its lunar landing. Meanwhile, at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) headquarters in Bengaluru, officials erupted in applause as Vikram initiated its powered vertical descent towards the designated landing site. Vikram steadily descended from 150 metres to 130 metres, then 50 metres, gradually slowing as it approached the moon's surface before culminating in a successful lunar touchdown.

ISRO had been sharing a sequence of detailed lunar images, aiding the lander module in its process of ascertaining its precise location, including latitude and longitude, by cross-referencing these images with an onboard moon reference map. The spacecraft was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on July 14th.

India made a historic achievement, becoming the first country to land the ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the Moon's southpole. This milestone comes shortly after a Russian probe, Luna-25, experienced a crash landing in the same area.

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