Chandrayaan-3: President Droupadi Murmu commends ISRO as Pragyan Rover achieves successful lunar south pole deployment
New Delhi, August 24: India's triumphant entry into an exclusive league of nations that have achieved successful lunar landing missions was met with enthusiasm and praise from President Droupadi Murmu. The notable achievement came as a result of ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 project, and President Murmu took to her official X account (formerly Twitter) to extend her congratulations to the dedicated ISRO scientists behind the endeavor.
In this remarkable feat, India joined the ranks of the United States, Russia, and China as the fourth nation to accomplish a successful lunar landing mission. However, India set itself apart by becoming the pioneer in landing a spacecraft on the unexplored southern terrain of the moon. The milestone was achieved with the precise landing of the Pragyan rover on the lunar South Pole, a remarkable achievement that further solidified India's prowess in space exploration.
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Upon the flawless touchdown on the lunar surface, the Pragyan rover separated from the Vikram lander, embarking on its mission to explore the uncharted lunar landscape. President Murmu's post on X after the rover's rollout from the lander expressed her admiration, saying, "I extend my warmest congratulations to the ISRO team and fellow citizens on the successful deployment of the Pragyan rover from within the Vikram lander. The rover's swift emergence following Vikram's landing signifies the accomplishment of another pivotal phase in Chandrayaan 3."
President Murmu's post continued, "With great anticipation, I join my fellow citizens and scientists in awaiting the invaluable information and insights that Pragyan will gather, thereby enriching our comprehension of the moon."
The notable achievement by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) unfolded shortly after a Russian lunar lander, Luna-25, unfortunately crash-landed during its descent. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, he virtually observed the climactic moments leading up to the Vikram lander's touchdown. The culmination of this successful endeavor prompted Prime Minister Modi to wave the tricolor flag with elation, visibly demonstrating his delight.
In the lead-up to the landing, ISRO had been releasing a series of close-range lunar images, aiding the lander module in precisely determining its geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude). This was achieved by matching these images with an onboard moon reference map.
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The journey began on July 14 when the spacecraft was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota. Facilitated by the GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle, the spacecraft was inserted into lunar orbit on August 5. Subsequently, a series of meticulously executed orbital maneuvers gradually brought the spacecraft closer to the moon's surface.
Throughout the mission, ISRO emphasized the spacecraft's sound health, a testament to meticulous planning and execution. Following its insertion into lunar orbit on August 5, Chandrayaan-3 underwent multiple crucial maneuvers, all of which were executed successfully.
The resounding success of India's lunar landing mission marks a monumental achievement in the country's space exploration endeavors, further establishing ISRO's global reputation for technological prowess and precision.
- ANI
