The Indian community in Muscat and the GCC region celebrated the moment as the country became the first nation to land a craft near the moon’s south pole.
Most of the messages received from the expatriates on the Observer’s social media platforms centred around the theme that they are proud to be one among their countrymen.
Several expatriates reportedly changed their profile photographs on social media as the world waited for the important moment around 4:30 Oman time.
Indian school students in Oman as told by their teachers tried not to miss the live moments in the afternoon.
Joining the Indian expatriate counterparts, several citizens also joined in congratulating the country on this important achievement.
The unmanned Chandrayaan-3, which means Mooncraft touched down at 6:04 pm India time as mission control technicians cheered wildly and embraced their colleagues. Its landing comes days after a Russian probe crashed in the same region and four years since the previous Indian attempt failed at the last moment.
The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi waved the national flag during a live broadcast to announce the mission’s success as a triumph that extended beyond his country’s borders. “On this joyous occasion I would like to address the people of the world,” said Modi from the sidelines of the BRICS summit in South Africa.
India’s previous attempt to land on the lunar south pole failed in 2019. Chandrayaan-2 successfully deployed an orbiter but its lander and rover were destroyed in a crash near where Chandrayaan-3 will attempt a touchdown.
Scientists say they have made adjustments that make it more likely the current mission will land successfully.
The successful mission made India only the fourth country to successfully land on the moon, after the former USSR, the United States and China.
India wants its private space companies to increase their share of the global launch market by five-fold within the next decade.
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