Chandrayaan-3: India scripted history in the global space race after the Chandrayaan-3's Vikram Lander module successfully completed a soft landing on the surface of the Moon.
"We have achieved soft landing on the Moon. India is on the Moon... Chandrayaan-3 is the result of the work done by thousands of scientists, engineers, our staff, industries and our support teams across other places," ISRO chief S Somanath said while making his remarks after the successful landing, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He thanked PM Modi for being a part of the successful journey. He also thanked P Veeramuthuvel, Project Director, Srikant, Missions Operations Director and other members of the Chandrayaan-3.
"This is not the work of us alone. This is the work of a generation of ISRO leadership and scientists. This is a journey we started with Chandrayaan-1, continued with Chandrayaan-2, and all the team that contributed to building Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2 should be remembered and thanked while we celebrate Chandrayaan-3," further said Somnath.
Taking to the occasion, Chandrayaan-3 Project Director Veeramuthuvel also said, "We have become the first country to go near the South Pole of the Moon."
PM Modi lauded the scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3.
Congratulating India on the success of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission, PM Modi said, "When we see such historic moments it makes us very proud. This is the dawn of new India." The Chandrayaan-3's landing on the moon is a historic moment and sounds the bugle for a developed India, Modi said.
"Humne dharti par sankalp kiya aur chand pe usse sakaar kiya...India is now on the Moon," says PM Modi and added, "No country has reached there (the South Pole of the moon) before. With the hard work of our scientists we have reached there."
By landing the Vikram Lander module on the Moon's south pole, India has become the first country to achieve this feat. India is the fourth country after the United States, China and the erstwhile Soviet Union to reach the Moon.
India’s Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander successfully set its four legs softly and safely on the lunar soil as planned, and became the fourth nation in the world to achieve the feat, but first to land on Moon's south pole.
The lander landed near the South Pole of the moon after travelling about 3.84 lakh km for over 40 days.
With the landing, a major portion of the Rs 600 crore Chandrayaan-3 mission has been realised. The remaining portion is the moon rover rolling down from the lander, moving around and doing the programmed experiments.
ALSO READ | Chandrayaan-3 successfully lands on Moon's south pole, India first country to achieve this feat
