NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha on Thursday took up a discussion regarding the success of the Chandrayaan -3 Mission and other achievements of the nation in the Space sector.
India took a giant leap as the Chandrayaan-3 lander module successfully landed on the moon’s South Pole on August 23, making it the first country to have achieved the historic feat and bringing to an end the disappointment over the crash landing of the Chandrayaan-2, four years ago.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the success of Chandrayaan-3 is not an exception, but a result of the development of India’s social, cultural and scientific trends.
Describing the success of Chandrayaan-3 as a testament to the robust scientific ecosystem taking shape in the country, the Defence Minister said, “Chandrayaan-3 shows that science education is improving in our schools and colleges and industries are producing and supplying quality products. Efforts were also made by previous governments. Therefore, everyone who has contributed towards developing scientific temperament within the nation deserves congratulations.”
Chandrayaan-3 was a huge achievement for the entire nation and stated that there are many developed countries that, despite being more resource-rich, are trying to reach the Moon, while India has become the first country to reach the South Pole of the Moon with limited resources, he added.
He credited the success to the intellectual prowess and dedication of ISRO scientists towards the development of the nation. India is today among the leading nations in the field of science due to their relentless efforts.
He pointed out that of the 424 foreign satellites launched by India so far, 389 have been launched in the last nine years of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He added that with the successful launch of foreign satellites, India’s space sector is rapidly gaining a prominent place in the world.
Emphasising that while science is crucial for the development of a nation & humanity at large, culture holds equal importance. He voiced the government’s resolve to provide equal importance to both aspects.
“Science is value-neutral. It can give us knowledge of nuclear power, but it is our culture that tells us whether we use that power in the form of energy for our own development or in the form of a weapon to destroy others. It doesn’t matter how much progress science makes, it will remain incomplete without culture and values. As Martin Luther King said: ‘Science gives man knowledge, which is power. Religion gives man wisdom, which is control’.
Those who say that we should get rid of our culture and adopt science, they must understand that culture and science complement each other,” he said.
“The sources of this success are hidden in our past, when there was harmony between science and faith. Due to the foreign invaders, there was a halt in our progress, but now we are once again roaring with more strength than before and are ready to touch the sun, moon and stars,” he said.
Crediting the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission to India’s Nari Shakti, commending their dedication and sacrifice to provide a new identity to the nation. He termed the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan’ Bill as a gift by a grateful nation to the women scientists of ISRO along with the entire female scientific community.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Tejasvi Surya also hailed the success of Chandrayaan-3 and thanked all the scientists of ISRO for inspiring a generation of Indians by achieving something that was considered to be impossible.
“I thanked all the scientists of ISRO for inspiring a generation of Indians by achieving something that was considered to be impossible,” Surya said.
“It is only rare that in the history of a nation moments like this come that inspire and unite the nation. The landing of the Chandrayaan mission on the Moon was one such moment where the whole nation stood together saluting the scientific progress of this great country. While I am indeed proud that our country became the very first nation in the world to land successfully on the South side of the Moon and even more proud that I represent a city that is the science capital of India and even this mission Chandrayaan-3, while it is made in India it was also made in Bengaluru the city that I represent,” he added.
Meanwhile, several opposition leaders also lauded the efforts of scientists and said that the nation’s history uplifted the entire national mood.
Congress leader Karti Chidambaram said that there are certain events in a nation’s history that uplift the entire national mood.
“There are certain events in a nation’s history which uplift the entire national mood, and August 23, 2023, was definitely a golden moment in our history when billions in India watched Chandrayaan-3 land on the unchartered part of the Moon,” Karti said.
“It was the day which uplifted the spirit people of India. This spirit was lifted by ISRO,” he added.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the watershed moment of India landing a spacecraft on the Moon was the culmination of the efforts put in by all governments over the past six decades, starting from the days of Jawaharlal Nehru.
“The success of our Lunar mission Chandrayaan-3. The success of the Chandrayaan-3 scripted history as it made a flawless soft landing on the Moon. Making us the only fourth country to achieve this feat and the first to reach the South Pole,” Tharoor said.
“The truth is, our space success are consequence of continuity in national governance and what has been achieved today stands on the shoulders of many past achievements,” he added.
DMK Minister A Raja said that the role of the Prime Minister and this government in bringing the Chandrayaan-3 cannot be undermined.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday magnanimous that no one can claim exclusive credit for Chandrayaan, it is a common effort put in by our scientists. The role of the Prime Minister and this government bringing the Chandrayaan-3 cannot be undermined, we want to wish and greet the government,’ A Raja said.
He further said that once universal galaxy was treated as a riddle for mankind. “Till the 1950s various countries including the USA used to send satellites to the moon and other planets. After Chandrayaan the message was given that India is second to none to anybody in Space research,” he said.
Speaking on Chandrayaan-3, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) MP Supriya Sule congratulated the scientists for the success of Chandrayaan-3.
“I want to take the opportunity to congratulate the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. I would like to congratulate every scientist that has contributed to this 60-year journey. The success of Chandrayaan-3 is about competency, capabilities and capacities that have contributed in 60 years,” Sule said.
“With absolute respect to Rajnath Singh ji who we always look up to. Today in his speech I was slightly disappointed as I was expecting to give him the vision of Chandrayaan-4, 5, 6, and Aditya L-1, which really lacks,” she added.
Furthermore, Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav said that the achievement belongs to all scientists and the community alone.
“The signifies wisdom, intuition, worth, death, and spiritual connection. Science and spirituality both are the safeguards of humanity and mankind. Spirituality, science and philosophy are all interlaced and interconnected. Moon also signifies powerful feminine energy,” Dimple Yadav said.
She further said that the Chandrayaan-3 landed successfully on August 23 on the Moon’s South Pole. I would like to congratulate all the scientists, the supporting technicians, staff of ISRO.
“This achievement belongs to all scientists and the community alone. Let us not lower our dignity in taking the credit of our dear scientist of our country,” she said.
After having landed, the Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover performed different sets of tasks on the lunar surface for about 14 days, including finding the presence of sulphur and other minor elements, recording relative temperature, and listening to movements around it. One day on the Moon is equal to 14 days on Earth.
The stated objectives of Chandrayaan-3, India’s third lunar mission were a safe and soft landing, rover roving on the Moon’s surface, and in-situ scientific experiments.
In early September, the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover were set in “sleep mode”, with ISRO expecting to awaken around September 22.
In a development that may fascinate science enthusiasts, the Vikram Lander had also successfully undergone a hop experiment, in which it had likely experimented possibility of relaunching it from the lunar surface. The lander elevated itself by about 40 cm and landed safely at a distance of 30-40 cm away.
Explaining the importance of this event, ISRO had said the ‘kick-start’ would enthuse future sample return and human missions on the moon. (ANI)