'PM wanted to spread scientific knowledge to young gen': ISRO scientists

India is celebrating its first-ever National Space Day to mark the anniversary of the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 mission.

Senior ISRO scientists shared their experiences with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, particularly during the Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3 missions.

B N Ramakrishna, Director, ISRO Telemetry, Tracking & Command Network (ISTRAC) told ANI, "Chandrayaan-2 was another big mission, which we were all aiming to land, soft landing at the moon (on) South pole. So that time when Modiji had come... we had made a lot of arrangements at...The most important point, I would like to bring here is he wanted to spread the scientific knowledge to the younger generation."

He recalled they had arranged for two or three children from each state to witness this landing event.

"So we had arranged the children from all over the India. I think from each state there were two or three students who had come to ISTRAC Bengaluru to watch this landing event... We had made good arrangements for Prime Minister ji. He was sitting in the visitor's Gallery. Constantly monitoring the various parameters of Chandrayaan-2. Everything was going so smoothly. He was feeling very good about that. And the school children were also watching."

Pavithra Shinde, the ISRO Scientist told ANI, "I am, here in ISRO for 38 years. The main difference I am seeing in the approach of ISRO is that earlier what we do, How we do, was not known to anybody. Only the outcome of that as a service was made available to the concerned departments... So, it was only, concentrating on the outcome. But nowadays, what we are seeing is that not only the outcome is essential, but what we are doing also should reach the public, known to the public."

He said that PM Modi had promised the ISRO chairman that he would virtually attend the event.

"That is the change I am seeing in the recent years. Actually, Chandrayaan-3, we had planned that the Prime Minister should be here at the time of landing. Unfortunately, G-20 meeting was scheduled at South Africa. He could not miss that and come. But he did promise to the chairman, that he would be available via video conferencing."

Following the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3, PM Modi declared August 23 as National Space Day and named the landing site 'Shiva Shakti Point,' while designating the Chandrayaan-2 landing site as 'Tiranga Point.'

In 2023, on this very day, Chandrayaan 3 accomplished the safe and soft landing of Vikram Lander on the lunar surface. India became the fourth country to land on the moon and the first to land near the southern polar region of the moon.