India Celebrates National Space Day
India is celebrating its first-ever National Space Day to mark the anniversary of the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Senior ISRO scientists shared their experiences of interacting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, particularly during the Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3 missions.
Arushi Seth’s Experience
Arushi Seth, a senior scientist at ISRO, spoke about her experience interacting with PM Modi. She recalled the excitement during the Mangalyaan mission when PM Modi visited their center. She mentioned PM Modi’s long-standing interest in space science, dating back to his days as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
Pavithra Shinde’s Experience
Pavithra Shinde, another ISRO scientist, shared her memorable experience during the Chandrayaan-3 landing. She was monitoring the system and felt a special joy when the mission was successful. She also recalled PM Modi’s virtual interaction and his visit to Bengaluru, where he congratulated the entire ISRO community.
PM Modi’s Announcements
Following the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3, PM Modi declared August 23 as National Space Day. He named the landing site ‘Shiva Shakti Point’ and designated the Chandrayaan-2 landing site as ‘Tiranga Point.’ On this day in 2023, India became the fourth country to land on the moon and the first to land near the southern polar region.
Doubts Revealed
National Space Day -: National Space Day is a special day to celebrate and learn about space and the achievements of a country’s space program. In India, it marks the success of important space missions.
ISRO -: ISRO stands for Indian Space Research Organisation. It is the agency in India responsible for space research and launching satellites.
Chandrayaan-3 -: Chandrayaan-3 is India’s third mission to the moon. It successfully landed on the moon, which is a big achievement for India’s space program.
PM Modi -: PM Modi is short for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is the leader of India and shows a lot of interest in space science.
Chandrayaan-2 -: Chandrayaan-2 is India’s second mission to the moon. It aimed to explore the moon’s surface and gather important data.
Shiva Shakti Point -: Shiva Shakti Point is the name given to the place where Chandrayaan-3 landed on the moon. It is named to honor the mission’s success.
Tiranga Point -: Tiranga Point is the name given to the place where Chandrayaan-2 landed on the moon. ‘Tiranga’ means the Indian flag, symbolizing national pride.