India makes history: Chandrayaan-3 touches down on the moon's south pole

After 18 minutes of intense anxiety, India made history on Wednesday by becoming the fourth country — after the former USSR, the US, and China — to soft-land on the moon through the completion of its Chandrayaan-3 mission. This was days after a Russian expedition to the moon failed.
 

At the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (Isro’s) Telemetry, Tracking, and Command Network in Bengaluru, there was huge applause, with national flags being waved. Some scientists were thumping their hands, while others were in tears after tense moments in the final stage of landing, which lasted around 18 minutes, in four stages. One could even see scientists chanting prayers on the memorable moment. The air at the media gallery and the headquarters of Isro was rent with chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”.
 

“We have achieved a soft landing on the moon. India is on the moon,” announced Isro Chairman S Somnath. India is the first country to land on the South Pole region of the lunar surface and has spent only Rs 615 crore to achieve this feat. The crowd erupted in joy in the last phase of landing (terminal phase), when Prime Minister Narendra Modi too joined the Isro team, live from Johannesburg, where he is attending a Brics summit.

“When we see such historic moments it makes us very proud. This is the dawn of new India,” Modi said.
 

He added to this in a more poetic way “Kabhi kaha jata tha chanda mama bahut door ke hain, ab ek din wo bhi ayega jab bacche kaha karenge chanda mama bass ek tour ke hain (once we used to say Chanda mama is far away, now time will come when kids will say Chanda mama is only a tour away).”

The Prime Minister also outlined India’s space road map, mentioning that the Aditya L1 mission to the sun, the Mars mission, and the ambitious Gaganyaan mission of sending humans to space are Isro’s immediate priorities.

Modi called it a success of humanity.

The excitement was evident in the media gallery as key scientists, who were part of the mission, came for a press conference. They were greeted with a standing ovation, a rare gesture from the media.

“This is the beginning of a golden era for India. We are launching the Aditya L1 mission to study the sun next month itself,” Somnath said. He added Gaganyaan’s initial unmanned trial was likely to take place by the end of September or the first week of October. Additionally, the country is also looking at a new phase of launches of polar satellite launch vehicles and small satellite launch vehicles.

Isro thanked the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Australian space agency, and the UK for their assistance in the completion of the project.

The key scientists who were part of the project include Project Director P Veeramuthuvel, Associate Project Director Kalpana K, U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) Director M Sankaran, and Mission Director Mohan Kumar.

Sankaran said: “We were living, sleeping, eating, and breathing Chandrayaan-3.”

- In a historic first, Chandrayaan-3 lands near the lunar south pole after a 41-day voyage

- India only fourth country — after US, China, and erstwhile Soviet Union — to soft-land on moon

Scientists celebrate at the control room of Isro headquarters after Chandrayaan-3’s lander module successfully touches down on the Moon’s surface | Photo: PTI