An Indian spacecraft landed on the moon on Wednesday in a mission seen as crucial to lunar exploration and India’s standing as a space power.
“This is a victory cry of a new India,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was seen waving the Indian flag as he watched the landing from South Africa, where he is attending the BRICS Summit.
Scientists and officials clapped, cheered and hugged each other as the spacecraft landed and as the government now looks to spur investment in private space launches and related satellite-based businesses.
“India is on the moon,” said S. Somanath, chief of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft landed on the lunar south pole.
This was India’s second attempt to land a spacecraft on the moon and comes less than a week after Russia’s Luna-25 mission failed. People across the country were glued to television screens and said prayers as the spacecraft approached the surface.
On board video from yesterday’s launch of #Chandrayaan3 pic.twitter.com/oIeoaRUCH6
— ISRO Spaceflight (@ISROSpaceflight) July 15, 2023
T-3️⃣ days: ISRO has completed the ‘Launch Rehearsal’ for the launch of #Chandrayaan3! #ISRO pic.twitter.com/Cg1X1k1ciT
— ISRO Spaceflight (@ISROSpaceflight) July 11, 2023
