India’s achievement in successfully landing the Lander Module of Chandrayaan-3, ISRO’s third lunar mission, marks a historic moment as the country becomes the fourth nation to achieve a soft landing on the Moon. The lunar landing took place on August 23, with the Lander touching down on the Moon’s surface at 6.03 p.m. The milestone makes India the first country to achieve a successful landing near the Moon’s south pole. The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) team of scientists received congratulations from Prime Minister Modi, who highlighted the mission’s global significance and its alignment with the principle of unity and shared future for humanity. The PM stated, “Our approach of one earth, one family, one future is resonating across the globe… Moon mission is based on the same human-centric approach. So, this success belongs to all of humanity.”

The successful landing was met with celebrations at the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking, and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bengaluru. Following the landing, the Lander deployed the Rover, which will conduct in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface during its 14 Earth-day mission. Both the Lander and the Rover carry scientific payloads for various experiments on the lunar terrain. The event was marked by Chandrayaan-3’s symbolic message, “India, I reached my destination and you too,” encapsulating the achievement’s significance and India’s successful reach to the Moon’s surface.