People celebrate the successful landing of lander Vikram on the Moon
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today congratulated India and the whole world after lander Vikram of the Chanrayaan-3 mission successfully landed near the Moon's South Pole. India is the first nation to land a craft near the Moon's South Pole, where scientists believe there are high chances of finding a dense concentration of water, which was first detected by the previous Chandrayaan-2 mission.
Other leaders and parties including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and the Trinamool Congress also posted on X, formerly Twitter, messages congratulating the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
"Congratulations to Team ISRO for today's pioneering feat. Chandrayaan3's soft landing on the uncharted lunar South Pole is the result of decades of tremendous ingenuity and hard work by our scientific community. Since 1962, India's space program has continued to scale new heights and inspire generations of young dreamers," Mr Gandhi posted on X.
"A proud moment for every Indian. Heartiest congratulations to ISRO for accomplishing such a monumental achievement. Our best wishes to Team Chandrayaan-3 for their endless contributions towards creating history," the Trinamool posted.
"India becomes the first nation to touch the South Pole of the moon with the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. The new space odyssey flies India's celestial ambitions to newer heights, setting it apart as the world's launchpad for space projects. Unlocking a gateway to space for Indian companies, it will create a plethora of employment opportunities for our youths," Home Minister Amit Shah posted.
"With the soft landing of lander Vikram on the Moon's South Pole, India has added a golden chapter in the history of space exploration. It is a landmark achievement and a momentous occasion for 1.4 billion people as India becomes the first country in the world to land on Moon's South Pole. This success is a testimony to India's prowess in space technology," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said.
Following the successful touchdown of the lander Vikram, the rover Pragyan will roll out from the lander craft after over three hours. This is because during landing the craft had kicked up a lot of fine Moon dust, which won't settle down due to the Moon's weak gravity but will drift away on its own momentum.