National Space Day: India celebrates 1st anniversary of Chandrayaan-3’s landing on moon

Last year, the Government of India declared August 23 as the National Space Day of India, recognising the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3’s lander and rover on the moon on August 23, 2023. Today, a year later, marks the first anniversary of the historic achievement.

Chandrayaan 3 was the third mission of the Chandrayaan programme, a series of missions by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) aimed at exploring the moon.

Three Chandrayaan missions

Chandrayaan 1, the first ISRO mission to the moon, was launched in October 2008. ISRO became the fifth national space agency to launch such a mission, after space agencies of the USA (NASA), USSR (Soviet space program, now Roscosmos), Japan (JAXA), and Europe (ESA) had already achieved similar goals.

The Chandrayaan 2 mission in 2019 was partially successful. Although the lander crashed, its orbiter is still functional and is expected to orbit around the moon till 2026.

The lessons learned from the two missions helped in making Chandrayaan 3 successful and in transforming India’s space journey.

The mission had a lunar lander, Vikram, and a lunar rover, Pragyan. The Vikram lander softly landed on the lunar surface’s ‘Shiv Shakti’ point, the name given to the landing site of Chandrayaan 3, and the Pragyan rover was deployed on the Moon’s surface.

It was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on July 14, 2023. The mission took 40 days, or almost 6 weeks, from launch to landing.

With the success of Chandrayaan 3, ISRO became the fourth national space agency after USA’s NASA, Russia’s Roscosmos and China’s CNSA to successfully carry out a lunar landing.

ISRO also became the first space agency to land on the south pole of the moon, making it a historic milestone for the agency. The lunar south pole holds great significance for scientific exploration as large amounts of ice present on the surface could be a potential source of oxygen, water and even fuel because of its hydrogen content.

ISRO’s objectives for Chandrayaan 3

ISRO had three main objectives for the Chandrayaan 3 mission:

• Implementing a soft and safe landing on the lunar surface.
• Observing and showcasing the driving capabilities of the rover on the surface of the moon.
• Conducting experiments on the materials found on the lunar surface to gain a better understanding of the moon’s composition.

Significance of National Space Day

The success of the third mission of the Chandrayaan programme established India’s position in the global space sector and National Space Day celebrates India’s achievements as well as the hard work demonstrated by the ISRO.

The day is aimed at inspiring future generations and generating interest in space and technology. It also enhances public awareness of the significance as well as the advantages of space exploration.

The Chandrayaan 3 mission was awarded the World Space Award by the IAF (International Astronautical Federation) in June 2024 for its achievement of landing near the moon’s south pole.

The IAF noted, "Chandrayaan-3 mission by Indian Space Research Organisation exemplifies the synergy of scientific curiosity and cost-effective engineering, symbolising India's commitment to excellence and the vast potential that space exploration offers humanity. Rapidly unveiling previously undiscovered facets of the Moon's composition and geology, the mission stands as a global testament to innovation. Achieving a historic milestone, Chandrayaan-3 becomes the first to touch down near the lunar South Pole, showcasing both aspiration and technological prowess on an international scale.”

National Space Day 2024 theme and events

This year’s theme for the celebration of the day is "Touching Lives while Touching the Moon: India’s Space Saga”. It highlights the importance of space exploration for society and technological advancements.

There will be a two-day grand event at the Bharat Mandapam, the convention centre in New Delhi, to celebrate this year’s National Space Day. It will have a number of sessions, panel discussions, interactive exhibitions and important announcements highlighting India’s achievements in the space domain.

ISRO will broadcast the entire event including panel discussions, sessions with scientists and education sessions to motivate the youth on its YouTube channel.

The first National Space Day will be celebrated with utmost enthusiasm and various events to inspire students and space fanatics to know more about ISRO’s space achievements.