After Chandrayaan-3’s successful landing on moon, PM Modi to meet ISRO scientists in Bengaluru today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Karnataka's Bengaluru today, August 25, to meet the team of ISRO scientists involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission, according to a report published by the news agency ANI. 

After a 40-day journey into space, the Chandrayaan-3 lander, 'Vikram', touched the uncharted lunar South Pole on Wednesday evening. With this, India became the first country to do it. In addition, the country also became only the fourth nation after the US, Russia, and China to successfully conduct a lunar landing mission.

The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft put down the Vikram lander on the lunar surface, tilting to a horizontal position ahead of landing. The spacecraft was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota on July 14.

PM Modi joined the live telecast of Chandrayaan-3 live telecast online from South Africa. He hailed the Chandrayaan-3 mission creating history by achieving a soft landing on the lunar surface and said “India is now on the moon”.

"When we see such historic moments it makes us very proud. This is the dawn of new India. Humne dharti par sankalp kiya aur chand pe usse sakaar kiya...India is now on the moon," the Prime Minister said. 

Earlier on Thursday, the Indian Space Research Organization said that Pragyan Rover began its moonwalk on the lunar surface. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), ISRO said, "Chandrayaan-3 Mission. Chandrayaan-3 Rover to MOX, ISTRAC, Moon walk begins!"

Lunar rover 'Pragyan' slid down a ramp from the lander of India's spacecraft within hours of its historic touch-down near the moon’s south pole, Indian space officials said Thursday, as the country celebrated its new scientific accomplishment.

“India took a walk on the moon," the state-run Indian Space Research Organization said, adding that the Chandrayan-3 Rover would conduct experiments over 14 days, including an analysis of the mineral composition of the lunar surface.