Celebration is testament to hard work of ISRO scientists: Minister HD Kumaraswamy

New Delhi [India], August 23 (ANI): Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy said that the celebration of National Space Day is a testament to the dedication and hard work of ISRO's scientists and the collaborative efforts of our nation's industries.
India is celebrating its first-ever National Space Day to mark the anniversary of the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 mission.

On the call of Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi avaru, India celebrates its first-ever National Space Day today, August 23rd. This day honors the historic success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which achieved a soft landing on the lunar South Pole on 23 August 2023, establishing… pic.twitter.com/4zbB1nEUwf
— ಹೆಚ್.ಡಿ.ಕುಮಾರಸ್ವಾಮಿ | H.D.Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) August 23, 2024

In a post on X, Kumaraswamy said, "On the call of Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi avaru, India celebrates its first-ever National Space Day today, August 23rd. This day honors the historic success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which achieved a soft landing on the lunar South Pole on 23 August 2023, establishing India as a global space leader."
"The Ministry of Heavy Industries (@MHI_GoI) proudly contributed to this milestone. Four CPSEs under MHI--Instrumentation Ltd. (IL), FCRI, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL), and Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT)--supplied essential products that were integral to the success of Chandrayaan-3," he added.
The JD(S) leader said, "This celebration is a testament to the dedication and hard work of ISRO's scientists and engineers, and the collaborative efforts of our nation's industries."
Following the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3, 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.'
Meanwhile, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S Somanath praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his role in strengthening India's space ecosystem.
Speaking to ANI as the nation celebrates National Space Day on August 23, Somanath highlighted recent policy reforms and initiatives under the leadership of PM Modi towards advancing the space sector.
The ISRO chief said that PM Modi's leadership has been crucial in several key policy interventions in India's space sector. "As Prime Minister, Modi has not only created but also implemented policies through the governmental system," he said on Thursday.
Highlighting three major initiatives, the ISRO chief said, "After the space sector reforms, we were working on a space policy. This new policy clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of the Department of Space, ISRO, and the NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), paving the way for greater private sector involvement in space activities."
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. (ANI)