Updated: October 14, 2023 5:31 PM IST 
Chandrayaan-3: The Government of India has declared August 23 of every year as National Space Day to commemorate the success of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission on August 23, 2023, with the landing of the Vikram lander and deployment of the Pragyaan Rover on the lunar surface. The Chandrayaan-3 Mission is India’s third mission to the moon and the first to attempt a landing on the south pole of the moon. The mission is expected to carry out a number of scientific experiments to study the moon’s surface, composition, and atmosphere.
The declaration of National Space Day is a significant recognition of India’s growing space capabilities and its commitment to space exploration. It is also a fitting tribute to the hard work and dedication of the scientists and engineers who made the Chandrayaan-3 Mission a success.
Stating that India has been making great strides in the field of space exploration, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet said that there is no limit to what an inspired and dreaming Indian population can achieve.
Pesquet was on his first visit to India, where he met with Indian Space Research Organisation S Somanath. He also interacted with the leaders of the space community, the young entrepreneurs, and the students.
“French astronaut @Thom_astro @esa was all praise for India as he concludes his first visit to the country,” the French Embassy in India posted on X (formerly Twitter). Pesquet also heaped praise on India’s Moon and Mars space missions, adding that the Gaganyan project will inspire the entire nation and ultimately change the world.
Taking to X, Pesquet stated, “My first time in India, and I can see how this won’t be the last! From Mars to the surface of the moon, and soon humans in orbit, India has been making great strides in space exploration, and the world is noticing. It’s been very energizing to speak to the leaders of the space community, the young entrepreneurs, the students and the pupils and realize how they dream and make things happen every day.”
“With the Gaganyaan project, India is strongly engaging in human spaceflight with their own capsule and rocket, and it’s easy to see here how this will inspire the entire nation, and ultimately change the world: there’s no limit to what an inspired and dreaming Indian population can do,” he added.
ISRO said that the rover is now safely heading on a new path. India took a giant leap on August 23, as the Chandrayaan-3 lander module successfully landed on the moon’s South pole, making it the first country to have achieved the historic feat. The country became the fourth– after the US, China, and Russia – to have successfully landed on the moon’s surface.
The Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) measures the temperature of the lunar surface at the pole to understand its thermal behavior. It has a probe that can penetrate the surface up to 10 centimeters and has 10 temperature sensors.
(With inputs from agencies)
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