• By Mayukh Debnath
  • Sat, 26 Aug 2023 12:05 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND
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National Space Day: While addressing ISRO scientists in Bengaluru, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that August 23, the day when Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander successfully touched down on the lunar surface, will now be celebrated as National Space Day.

He further declared that going forth the location on the Moon's South Pole where Chandrayaan-3 made its historic soft landing earlier this week will be known as 'Shiv Shakti'.

"The point where the moon lander of Chandrayaan-3 landed will now be known as 'Shiv Shakti'," PM Modi stated on Saturday.

Moreover, the prime minister said, "The spot on the lunar surface where the Chandrayaan-2 left its footprints will be known as 'Tiranga'. This will be an inspiration for every effort made by India. it will remind us any failure is not final."

At the ISRO Telemetry Tracking & Command Network Mission Control Complex, PM Modi also met the female scientists who were part of India's latest lunar exploration mission. He was also given a tour of the facility by ISRO chief S Somanath. PM Modi was seen being apprised of the structure of Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander and Pragyan rover by ISRO Chairman S Somanath.

On Wednesday, Chandrayaan-3 accomplished the first of its three mission objectives by achieving a soft landing on the lunar south polar region, making India the first country to do so. The event also made India only the fourth country to successfully land on the Moon, after the US, Russia (erstwhile USSR), and China.

'Pragyan' rolled over the surface of the moon for a distance of eight meters after its deployment to carry out in-situ experiments on the natural satellite, ISRO said in an update on Friday.

"All planned Rover movements have been verified. The Rover has successfully traversed a distance of about 8 meters. Rover payloads LIBS and APXS are turned ON. All payloads on the propulsion module, lander module, and rover are performing nominally," ISRO said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Earlier in the day, ISRO had posted a video showing 'Pragyan' rolling down to the lunar surface through a two-segment ramp attached to Chandrayaan-3's lander module.