India celebrates first National Space Day marking Chandrayaan-3's historic moon landing; 'Great pride,' says PM Modi

India has designated August 23rd as National Space Day, commemorating the successful landing of the Vikram Lander from the Chandrayaan-3 mission on the lunar surface. This historic achievement, which made India the fourth country to land a rover on the Moon and the first to do so in the southern polar region, is being celebrated across the nation with a focus on inspiring future generations and promoting space exploration.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his greetings on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "Greetings to everyone on the first National Space Day. We recall with great pride our nation’s achievements in the space sector. It is also a day to laud the contributions of our space scientists. Our Government has taken a series of futuristic decisions relating to this sector and we will do even more in the times to come."

The Chandrayaan-3 mission, a follow-up to Chandrayaan-2, launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, successfully achieved a soft landing of the Vikram Lander on August 23, 2023. The successful soft landing made India the fourth country, after the United States, Russia, and China, to achieve the feat.

The Vikram Lander, accompanied by the Pragyaan Rover, touched down at a site designated as 'Shiv Shakti.' The rover was subsequently deployed, commencing its exploration of the lunar surface.

The theme for National Space Day 2024 is "Touching Lives while Touching the Moon: India’s Space Saga," highlighting the broader impact of space exploration on society and highlighting how advancements in space technology can benefit life on Earth.

Celebrations are taking place at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, with live streaming of events on ISRO's website and YouTube channel. These events aim to engage the public and inspire young minds to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Rahul Paith, CEO, MATH, said "India's first National Space Day is a proud moment, celebrating the groundbreaking achievements of Chandrayaan-3 and the revolution currently underway in our space tech industry. The sector is experiencing a perfect storm of opportunity, where the government's ambitious targets are converging with the private sector's innovative spirit. This synergy is fueling unprecedented growth, with nearly 300 startups at the forefront of this transformation. AI is central to this revolution, enabling everything from smarter satellite systems to autonomous space missions. The integration of AI into space technology is making our missions more efficient, reliable, and impactful. With India's goal of capturing 10% of the global space economy in the next decade, the future of our space tech industry looks incredibly bright."