Reaction of NASA and Other Space Agencies to Chandrayaan-3 Touching Down on the Moon’s Far Side
India has made history by becoming the first country to successfully land a spacecraft near the Moon’s South Pole, a remarkable accomplishment that showcases the impressive capabilities of its cost-effective space program. This groundbreaking achievement not only represents a significant milestone for India, but also emphasizes the nation’s ambitious efforts in the field of space exploration.
The unmanned Chandrayaan-3 moon lander named Vikram touched down gracefully at exactly 6:04 p.m., sending mission control technicians into ecstatic cheers and hugs. However, this victory was not without its challenges. It followed the accident of a Russian probe in the same area of the moon and followed a gap of four years since India’s previous moon landing attempt ended in disappointment at the 11th hour.
Global space agencies congratulate
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson took to Twitter to congratulate: “Congratulations @isro on the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 at the south pole of the Moon! And congratulations to #India for being the 4th country to successfully soft-land a spacecraft. Moon. We are delighted to be your partner in this mission!” “
The UK Space Agency also joined in the tributes, stating: “Successful! Congratulations to India for becoming the fourth nation to achieve a soft landing on the Moon! We will communicate with the lander from its position near the south pole of the moon. soon!”
Josef Aschbacher, director general of the European Space Agency (ESA), expressed his amazement on Twitter: “Unbelievable! Congratulations to @isro, #Chandrayaan_3 and all Indians! What a way to showcase new technology AND achieve India’s first soft landing on another celestial body. Well done, I’m really impressed. And thank you once again to @esaoperations for your valuable support in this process. We too are learning good lessons and providing important expertise. A strong international partner a strong partner.”
The Chandrayaan-3 mission has captured the imagination of the global public since it launched nearly six weeks ago, drawing the attention of thousands of cheering spectators. It is worth noting that Chandrayaan-3’s journey to the moon, though longer than the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s, is a testament to India’s dedication and commitment to space exploration.
The ISRO leadership that ran Chandrayaan-3, for their part, made it clear that the failure of their last lunar landing attempt in 2019 was a major driving force. “Since the day we started rebuilding our spacecraft after the Chandaryaan-2 experience, it has breathed Chandrayaan-3 into our team,” said Kalpana Kalahasti, ISRO’s deputy project director for the mission.
