By Jose Kavi

New Delhi, Aug 23, 2023: The head of the Catholic Church in India on August 23 joined the nation’s leaders to applaud the Indian Space Research Organization for the success of the country’s third lunar exploration mission.

On the same day, when Chandrayaan (moon craft)-3 successfully landed on the lunar surface, India created history as the first country to land on the moon’s South Pole.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Indians and space scientists for the achievement. “India will remember this day forever,” Modi said after virtually witnessing the landing attempt from South Africa where he is attending the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) Summit.

“I heartily congratulate ISRO, its scientists for this unprecedented feat. I may be in South Africa but my heart has always been with the Chandrayaan mission,” he added.

“No other country has been able to land on this side of the moon before; this will change all narratives and stories about the moon. We are witness to the new flight of new India. New history has been written,” the prime minister said.

Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Trichur, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, conveyed to the ISRO the “warmest congratulations” from the entire nation on the remarkable achievement of the successful landing of Chandrayaan 3 on the lunar surface.

The prelate offered the prayers of the country’s Catholics “for the continued success of ISRO’s endeavours and for the well-being of our great nation. May this achievement serve as a reminder of what we can accomplish when we come together with a shared vision.”

“The progress made by our scientists and engineers in the field of space research is truly commendable and fills our hearts with pride. The efforts of ISRO and the entire team behind Chandrayaan 3 serve as an inspiration to the entire nation,” the CBCI president said in a press statement.

“The pursuit of knowledge and exploration knows no boundaries and brings together people from all walks of life, reflecting the unity in diversity that India represents,” added the statement issued by Father Robinson Rodrigues, the CBCI public relations officer.

The All India Catholic Union too congratulated the scientists for the moon mission’s success. “On this occasion, we recall Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and his stress on scientific temper which led to the founding of ISRO by Vikram Sarabhai and succeeding scientists, including [APJ Abdul] Kalam,” AICU spokesperson John Dayal told Matters India.

ISRO chairman S Somanath hailed the success saying, “India is on the moon.”

Rahul Gandhi, a Member of Parliament and member of the Opposition Congress party, said: “Chandrayaan-3’s soft landing on the uncharted lunar South Pole is the result of decades of tremendous ingenuity and hard work by our scientific community. Since 1962, India’s space program has continued to scale new heights and inspire generations of young dreamers.”

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan said, “Congratulations to all the scientists and engineers … the whole team which has made India so proud.”

Supreme Court Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, said, “This will herald new avenues in scientific research and discovery. This represents a milestone in the march of the nation.”

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin tweeted, “Congratulations to ISRO on the successful landing of Chandrayaan 3. A monumental achievement that places India as the fourth country to conquer the lunar surface. Kudos to the entire team for their tireless efforts and innovation. A giant leap for India’s space exploration.”

Chandrayaan-3’s landing has come days after a Russian probe crashed in the same region. India’s earlier attempt failed in 2019.

The Chandrayaan consists of a lander named Vikram and a rover named Pragyan. The propulsion module carried the lander and rover configuration to lunar orbit in preparation for a powered descent by the lander.

Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14. The lander and rover landed near the lunar south pole region at 18:02 Indian time on August 23, making India the first country to successfully land a spacecraft near the lunar south pole and the fourth country to soft-land on the Moon.

The lander, Vikram, which means “valour” in Sanskrit, detached from its propulsion module a week earlier and started sending images of the Moon’s surface.

After Vikram landed on the moon, a solar-powered rover began exploring the surface and transmitting data to Earth over the next two weeks, its lifespan.