PM Modi dials ISRO chief right after Chandrayaan-3’s successful landing.

Shortly after the Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed on the moon, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in South Africa for the BRICS summit, dialled the space agency chief S Somnath congratulating him and his team.

“Your name is Somnath and Somnath means Chandra (moon). Many congratulations to you and your entire team from my side. Very soon, I will be with you to congratulate you in person,” the Prime Minister could be heard telling the ISRO chief in a call.  

The unmanned Chandrayaan-3 touched down at 6:04 pm as mission control technicians cheered wildly and embraced their colleagues.

Its landing comes days after a Russian probe crashed in the same region and four years since the previous Indian attempt failed at the last moment.

PM Modi, who was watching the touchdown virtually, smiled broadly and waved an Indian flag to announce the mission’s success as a triumph that extended beyond his country’s borders.

“PM Modi was kind enough to call me. He conveyed his message to all the scientists and everyone who was part of the mission. He is so clear about the amrit kaal. I am sure he will support us on more of these exploratory missions,” the ISRO chief said about the call he received from the Prime Minister.

The mission launched in mid-July and orbited Earth several times to build up the necessary speed for its journey.

Following Wednesday’s successful landing, a solar-powered rover will explore the surface of the relatively unmapped lunar south pole and transmit data to Earth over its two-week lifespan.

The Indian Space Research Organisation is also slated to launch a three-day crewed mission into Earth’s orbit by next year.

Source link: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pm-modi-dials-isro-chief-immediately-after-chandrayaan-3s-success-4323016