India made history on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, when the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft successfully landed on the moon’s south pole. The lander, Vikram, touched down at 6:04 pm IST, making India the first country in the world to land a spacecraft on this unexplored region of the moon.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission is a major milestone for India’s space program, and it is a testament to the country’s growing prowess in space technology and engineering. The mission is also a significant achievement for the international space community, as it opens up new possibilities for lunar exploration.
The Chandrayaan-3 lander is equipped with a variety of scientific instruments, which will be used to study the moon’s geology, mineralogy, and atmosphere. The mission is expected to last for about 14 days.
The success of Chandrayaan-3 is a major boost for India’s space program, and it is sure to inspire future generations of scientists and engineers. The mission is a reminder that India is a leading player in the global space race, and it is poised to make even greater strides in the years to come.
President’s Message
After watching live telecast of moon landing of Vikram Lander, the President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu conveyed her congratulatory message to ISRO and everyone associated with Chandrayaan-3 mission.
In her message, the President has said, “there are days when history is made. Today, with the successful moon landing of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, our scientists have not only made history, but also remade the idea of geography! It is truly a momentous occasion, the kind of event that happens once in a lifetime, making all Indians proud. I congratulate ISRO and everybody involved in this mission, and wish them greater accomplishments ahead.
The success of Chandrayaan, I believe, is also a major achievement for the whole of humankind. It shows how India has harnessed its rich traditional knowledge base along with modern science in the service of humanity”.
PM’s Message
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi joined the ISRO team via Video Conferencing to witness the the landing of Chandrayaan 3 on the Moon’s surface. Immediately after the successful landing, the Prime Minister addressed the team and congratulated them for the historic achievement.
Addressing the nation, he said that such historic events become the eternal consciousness of a nation. “This moment is unforgettable, unprecedented. It is the moment of the clarion call of ‘Viksit Bharat’, a victory call for India, this is a moment of crossing the ocean of difficulties and walking on the ‘Chandrapath’ of victory. This is a moment of the capability of the 140 crore heartbeats and the confidence of the new energy of India. This is a moment of invoking the rising fortune of India”, the Prime Minister told a jubilant nation. “In the first light of ‘Amrit Kaal’ this is ‘Amrit Varsha’ of success”, a visibly elated Prime Minister added. The Prime Minister quoted the scientists and said, “India is now on the moon!” He stated that we have just witnessed the first flight of the new India.
“India has reached the South Pole of the Moon where no country in the world could reach to date with the dedication and talent of our scientists”, the Prime Minister remarked.
The Prime Minister, addressing the people of the world, every country and region, said “India’s successful moon mission is not India’s alone. This is a year in which the world is witnessing India’s G-20 presidency. Our approach of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ is resonating across the globe. This human-centric approach that we represent has been welcomed universally. Our moon mission is also based on the same human-centric approach. Therefore, this success belongs to all of humanity. And it will help moon missions by other countries in the future.” Shri Modi added. “I am confident that all countries in the world, including those from the Global South are capable of achieving such feats. We can all Aspire for the moon and beyond.”
The Prime Minister expressed confidence that the achievements of Chandrayaan Maha Abhiyan will take India’s flight beyond the lunar orbits. “We’ll test the limits of our solar system, and work to realize the infinite possibilities of the universe for humans”, Shri Modi asserted.
The Prime Minister highlighted setting ambitious goals for the future and informed that ISRO is soon going to launch the ‘Aditya L-1’ mission for a detailed study of the Sun. He also touched upon Venus being one of ISRO’s goals. “India is proving again and again that the sky is not the limit”, the Prime Minister said as he highlighted Mission Gaganyaan where India is fully prepared for its first human space flight mission.
The Prime Minister emphasized that science and technology are the basis of the bright future of the country. He said that this day will inspire all of us to move towards a bright future and will show the way to the realization of resolutions. “This day signifies how victory is achieved from the lessons of defeat”, the Prime Minister concluded wishing all the success to the scientists in all their future endeavours.
Narrating the further sequence of activities from this moment onwards, Minister of Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the experiments onboard Vikram and Pragyan will be happening on all days and as much data will be collected from all instruments until the Moon’s Day lasts for the next 14 days.
On the Lander, the Minister informed that the instruments in operation include CHASTE (Chandra’s Surface Thermo-Physical Experiment) to carry out the measurements of thermal properties of the lunar surface near the polar region, LRA (Laser Retroreflector Array), RAMBHA-LP- a Langmuir Probe to measure surface plasma density, a laser reflector mounted on the corner of the Vikram for accurate positioning measurement of Lander on the Lunar surface by future orbiters, ILSA – Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity to measure seismicity around the landing site and to understand the structure of the lunar crust and mantle, LIBS- Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy to determine the elemental composition (Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca,Ti, Fe) of Lunar soil and rocks around the lunar landing site, APXS – Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer to measure the chemical composition and mineralogical composition to further enhance our understanding of Lunar-surface and SHAPE – Spectro-polarimetry of HAbitable Planet Earth to study the spectro-polarimetric signatures of the habitable planet Earth in the near-infrared (NIR) wavelength range (1 – 1.7 μm).
Dr Jitendra Singh said, at the end of next 14 days followed by night and extreme cold conditions when the day breaks again, solar power generation for Vikram and Pragayaan is expected to start again. Meanwhile, the orbiter is designed to withstand long periods of life, he said.