PM Celebrates India's First National Space Day, Highlights Space Achievements

New Delhi — On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked the inaugural National Space Day with a celebratory message recognizing India's significant strides in space exploration. The day honors the historic achievement of Chandrayaan-3, which, in 2023, became the first spacecraft to successfully land on the Moon’s South Pole.

In a post on X.com, PM Modi extended his greetings to the nation, acknowledging the remarkable accomplishments of India's space scientists. “Greetings to everyone on the first National Space Day,” he said. He praised the country’s space community, noting their hard work and dedication. “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,” he added.

PM Modi emphasized the government’s commitment to advancing the space sector. “Our Government has taken a series of futuristic decisions relating to this sector and we will do even more in the times to come,” he promised.

Chandrayaan-3, which landed on August 23, 2023, was a landmark mission. The spacecraft comprised a 2,148 kg propulsion module, a 1,723.89 kg lander named Vikram, and a 26 kg rover named Pragyan. The mission traveled approximately 384,000 km over more than 40 days to achieve its successful landing. With this accomplishment, India joined the ranks of the USSR (now Russia), the US, and China as the fourth nation to achieve a soft landing on the Moon.

National Space Day is being celebrated across India, with participation from various departments, ministries, educational institutions, science organizations, NGOs, and the general public. The theme for this year’s celebration is: “Touching Lives while Touching the Moon: India’s Space Saga.”

On this occasion, ISRO Chairman Dr. S. Somnath noted that while the day commemorates Chandrayaan-3’s success, it also serves to outline future space initiatives. “We will be outlining future space initiatives during the Amritkal era,” Dr. Somnath said.

Looking ahead, India plans to launch its first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, by the second half of 2025, following delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, India aims to land the first Indian on the Moon by 2040. The country also anticipates sending robotic missions, including a female robot named Vayumitra, into space in 2025.