Indian Bishops and leaders applaud nation's successful lunar mission

Catholic bishops appreciated all the scientists and technicians of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for the Chandrayann-3's successful lannding on the lunar surface on August 23, 2023, a month after its launch on July 14, 2023.

India created history as the first country to land on the moon's South Pole on the same day Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed on the moon's surface.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India's president, Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Trichur, conveyed to ISRO the "warmest congratulations" of the whole nation on the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3.

In his message, the prelate offered the prayers of the Catholic community for ISRO's success and for the well-being of "our wonderful nation."

He prayed that this accomplishment would serve as a reminder of what is possible when people work together towards a common goal.

In a press release, the president of CBCI stated that "the advancements made by our scientists and engineers in the field of space research are truly commendable and fill our hearts with pride, and the efforts of ISRO and the entire team behind Chandrayaan 3 serve as an inspiration to the entire nation."

Father Robinson Rodrigues, the CBCI public relations officer, says, "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."

"Our country will remember this day forever," Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, said after virtually witnessing the landing from South Africa, where he was attending the BRICS summit, which brings together Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

"New history has been written," Modi said.

He commended this milestone as "No other country has been able to land on this side of the moon before," and he thinks that "this will change all narratives and stories about the moon."

"We are witnesses to the new flight of India. New history has been written, "Modi said.

Rahul Gandhi, a parliamentarian and leader of the main opposition Congress Party, commented on the event, saying, "Chandrayaan-3’s soft landing on the lunar South Pole is the result of decades of tremendous ingenuity and hard work."

Supreme Court Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, said, "This will herald new avenues in scientific research and discovery, and 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 in India’s space exploration."

The landing of Chandrayaan-3 comes days after a Russian probe crashed nearby. In 2019, India failed in its previous attempt.

In October 2008, India's Chandrayaan-1 mission launched and released a Moon Impact Probe on November 14 that year, which crashed into the moon later that day. The mission was known for finding evidence of water and ice on the moon.

India's third lunar exploration mission, Chandrayaan, means journey to the moon in Sanskrit.

As the second mission attempted to land in September 2019, its lander crashed and deviated from its intended trajectory, leading to its failure.

According to ISRO, Chandrayaan-3 has three objectives: to land safely on the surface, to demonstrate rover operations, and to conduct experiments. It cost nearly US$77 million.

A solar-powered rover was launched after Vikram landed on the moon, and it began exploring the surface and transmitting data to Earth for the next two weeks.