India is celebrating its first-ever National Space Day to mark the anniversary of the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
Senior ISRO scientists share their experiences of interacting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, particularly during the Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3 missions.
Arushi Seth, a senior scientist, at ISRO, spoke to ANI about her experience interacting with PM Modi. “The Mangalyaan mission was about to capture the orbit of Mars. And then he came to our Center. Then he…the capture was successful. And we people were very happy. There was excitement as the Prime Minister was coming there. When the mission was achieved, then he delivered his speech to scientists.”
Seth also mentioned about PM Modi’s interest in space science from the days he was the Chief Minister.
“He said about his interest from the beginning in space science. He also spoke about visiting the Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad to see what was going on there when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. He inspired us a lot,” Seth said.
Pavithra Shinde, Scientist, ISRO told ANI, “I can start from the Chandrayaan-3, the landing time, the most glorious, historic moment. So I was almost in the front row. I was monitoring our Dopplers…At the time of landing, I was monitoring the system. Yes. We landed. Then we had our Chairman announcing it. Then came a virtual… interaction with the honourable Prime Minister. So, it was a moment of joy. Some kind of special joy that I could relate with the PM.”
Shinde reminded how the Prime Minister applauded the entire ISRO community upon the completion of the mission.
“He also experienced the same. Something very rare. Then he congratulated the entire community and then he applauded our efforts. Three days later, he came to Bengaluru and he met us. I was one of the women scientists who were identified to interact with the PM. How he started was our landing, Vikram setting its foot on the moon, the south polar region…He related that with Angad setting his foot. That is a firm. It is a firm. He mentioned that,” Shinde recalled.
Following the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3, PM Narendra Modi declared August 23 as National Space Day and named the landing site ‘Shiva Shakti Point,’ while designating the Chandrayaan-2 landing site as ‘Tiranga Point.’
In 2023, on this very day, Chandrayaan 3 accomplished the safe and soft landing of Vikram Lander on the lunar surface. India became the fourth country to land on the moon and the first to land near the southern polar region of the moon.