Chandrayaan-3: PM to virtually witness attempted lunar landing in S Africa

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in South Africa to attend the 15th BRICS Summit, will virtually witness the historic landing attempt on the lunar surface as part of the country's third lunar mission - Chandrayaan-3.

According to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Chandrayaan-3 is all set to create history by landing on the uncharted south pole of the moon. The attempted soft-landing has been scheduled at 18:04 hrs IST.

Wishes have been pouring in from across the world ahead of the attempted moon landing on Wednesday.

Indian students and research scholars in Uxbridge, London organised a special prayer at the Adya Shakti Mataji Temple for the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon. Meanwhile, the members of the Indian diaspora performed a havan at a temple in Virginia, US for the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon.

While anticipation around the ISRO's attempted moon landing is building up across the world, prayers and prayers are being held across the country ahead of the historic moment.

A Ganga Aarti was performed at Parmarth Niketan Ghat in Rishikesh ahead of the crowning moment of India's third lunar mission. A group of people in Bhubaneswar, Varanasi and Prayagraj performed 'havan' and offered prayers for the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 lander.

A group of children from Vadodara also offered prayers for the safe landing of Chandrayaan-3.

In Lucknow, people offered namaz at the Islamic Center of India for the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3.

The live telecast of the landing operations will begin at 5:20 PM IST on Wednesday. Live actions of landing will be available on the ISRO website, its YouTube channel, Facebook, and public broadcaster DD National TV from 5:27 PM IST on Aug 23, 2023.

India will be the fourth country in the world to achieve this feat after the United States, Russia, and China, but India will be the only country in the world to land on the lunar south pole.

Chandrayaan-3's Lander Module (LM) - lander Vikram and rover Pragyan - is scheduled to make a touchdown near the lunar south pole.