Be courageous: PM Modi to scientists after 'Vikram' lander loses communication

As 'Vikram', the lander of Chandrayaan 2 lost communication with the ground station, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the scientists to not lose hope and be courageous.

"Don't lose hope. Be courageous. There are ups and downs in life. What you all have done is not a small thing. You have done a great service to the country, science and mankind. I am with you. I wish you all the best," the Prime Minister told the scientists.

Meanwhile, he tweeted, " India is proud of our scientists! They've given their best and have always made India proud. These are moments to be courageous, and courageous we will be! Chairman @isro gave updates on Chandrayaan-2. We remain hopeful and will continue working hard on our space programme."

At the ISRO Centre in Bengaluru, Modi patted Sivan's back even as scientists were seen tensed as the lander lost communication with the ground station.

"Vikram lander's descent was as planned and normal performance was observed up to an altitude of 2.1 km. Subsequently, the communication from the lander to ground station was lost. The data is being analysed," Sivan had said.

The lander began its descent to the South Pole region of the moon on early Saturday morning.