India today celebrates its first National Space Day, a significant milestone in the country’s space exploration journey. The day commemorates the historic event of August 23, 2023, when Chandrayaan-3 successfully made a soft landing on the moon. With this achievement, India became the fourth country to land on the moon and the first to reach the lunar south pole. In honor of this remarkable achievement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared August 23 as National Space Day.
National pride and ministerial recognitions
The celebration has received wide recognition, with Union Ministers expressing their pride and gratitude. On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, said: marked the journey of India’s space program, describing its humble beginnings and rise to become a global leader in space exploration. He also acknowledged the role of Indian Oil’s Cryogenics in supporting these missions and mentioned the upcoming Gaganyaan mission scheduled for 2024.
I’m done with this #NationalSpaceDay I think it’s good!
I think it’s worth 140% I think I did good-3 I think I did good I think I did good
I think I have it right, if I understand correctly, I think that… photo.twitter.com/h4NaoWvnZ6—Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) August 23, 2024
Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, also participated in X, celebrate India’s recent achievements in space, including the success of Chandrayaan-3 and the upcoming Aditya-L1 solar mission. He praised the brilliance of ISRO scientists and their contribution in making India’s space dreams come true. The theme for this year’s National Space Day, “Touching Lives While Touching the Moon: India’s Space Saga,” was also mentioned, highlighting the impact of space exploration on everyday life.
A nation united in space exploration
Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Labour and Employment, also took part in the celebration, reflective on the historic achievement of Chandrayaan-3. He called it a turning point in India’s quest for space exploration, reinforcing the country’s commitment to enhance its space capabilities. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways also marked the day by highlighting the significance of the landing of Chandrayaan-3, which made India the first country to land near the south polar region of the Moon.
India’s first National Space Day is not only a celebration of past achievements, but also a reflection of the country’s ambitions in space exploration as the country continues to push the boundaries of scientific discovery.
