On August 23 at 6:04 PM (IST) when ‘Vikram’ the lander craft of India’s Mission to the Moon ‘Chandrayaan’ touched down on the lunar surface, it marked a new milestone.
A milestone not only for India’s own remarkable space odyssey, but also for humankind’s quest for better understanding of the mysteries of space.
In doing so, India became only the fourth country in the world to successfully land a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon, and more importantly, the first ever to achieve a soft landing on Moon’s south pole.
Landing on the moon, with predicted accuracy, in itself is a momentous achievement.
Landing near the South Pole of the Moon, overcoming the arduous conditions is a testament to the spirit of the Indian scientific community. The inspirational journey of the Indian space program, which from humble beginnings is today among the most advanced in the world, is a testament to the prowess of the Indian scientists and the talent and spirit of scientific enquiry of the Indian people.
Fittingly, August 23 will henceforth be celebrated as the ‘National Space Day’ in India.
India’s moon mission is a success for the entire world. Through its analysis and imagery of the moon’s surface, Chandrayaan-3 will advance the global understanding of our closest celestial neighbour and further invigorate our collective quest for space exploration.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that the knowledge that will come from the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission will be used for the benefit and progress of humanity, especially the countries of the global south, in the spirit of our belief in the age old Indian ideal of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ which is also the theme of India’s G-20 Presidency.
India shares with the Sultanate of Oman a joint vision to harness the potential of the space sector to encourage innovation, enhance infrastructure, boost the digital economy, and catalyze the development of downstream sectors by making available critical space-based data.
The congratulatory good wishes of the government and people of the Sultanate of Oman on the success of India’s Moon Mission, conveyed graciously by Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy on social media, capture the sense of joy and pride that resonates in the hearts of all Omanis and Indians.
It is indeed fitting that just a few weeks prior to the launch of the ‘Chandrayaan-3’ Mission, the Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was in Muscat where he held productive discussions with the Omani side on collaborations in space sector for mutual benefit. And on August 17, when the ‘Vikram’ lander separated from the propulsion module of Chandrayaan-3, Oman’s Minister for Transport, Communications and IT Said bin Hamood al Maawali was present at the ISRO centre in Bangalore to witness the landmark event.
The success of India’s Chandrayaan-3 Mission represents a vision of progress, self-reliance, and global leadership.
Chandrayaan-3 is also a symbol of a rising New India.
A new India that is at the centre of the global quest for space exploration.
A new India that believes in contributing to the global good and humankind’s collective progress.
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