BENGALURU: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday visited the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) headquarters and congratulated the scientists after the Chandrayaan-3 lander made a successful soft landing on the surface of the Moon on Wednesday, making India the first country to reach close to the lunar south pole.
Calling the scientists ‘pride of the country’, Shivakumar said that the efforts of all the ISRO scientists and staff who worked hard for the project are unforgettable.
“Your achievement of successfully landing the Vikram lander on the moon is commendable. You are the pride of India. The efforts of all the ISRO scientists and staff who worked hard for the project are unforgettable…Congratulations to ISRO for their hard work,” DK Shivakumar said.
DK Shivakumar was also briefed about the Chandrayaan project and witnessed moments of meaningful happiness among scientists.
With this success, India has also become the fourth nation in history to land on the lunar surface, after the United States, the erstwhile Soviet Union, and China.
The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 mission landed successfully after a 40-day journey starting from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota.
India’s success in landing the spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole comes days after a Russian probe Luna-25 crashed in the same region.
Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft put down the Vikram lander on the lunar surface, descending and tilted to a horizontal position ahead of landing.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal also extended his greeting over the success and said that the historic moment is not only for the country, ISRO but for every citizen of the country.
The MP further said that this is a landmark achievement for scientists in India and for everybody in India that our organisation which was set-up immediately after independence has reached such phenomenal heights
“It’s a historic moment not just for India, ISRO but for every citizen of the country. A moment that will be remembered for years and years to come. It’s a landmark achievement for scientists in India and for everybody in India that our organisation which was set up immediately after independence has reached such phenomenal heights that the world now recognises ISRO as a lead institution and therefore I’m over the Moon for Chandrayaan-3 having landed over the Moon…I’ve also been a Minister of Science and Technology and I know what it can do for our country,” he said.
The spacecraft was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota on July 14. A GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle was used for the launch of the spacecraft that was placed in the lunar orbit on August 5 and since then it was through a series of orbital manoeuvres been lowered closer to the moon’s surface. (ANI)