Produced by: Tarun Mishra
India celebrates its first National Space Day on August 23, 2024, marking the country’s achievements in space exploration. This day, initiated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), acknowledges India’s growing role in the global space community and aims to inspire future generations.
National Space Day is set to coincide with the anniversary of the Chandrayaan-3 mission’s successful landing on the Moon’s surface. On August 23, 2023, Chandrayaan-3 made India the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface and the first to land near the Moon’s south pole.
The theme for National Space Day 2024 is "Touching Lives while Touching the Moon." This theme celebrates India’s progress in space technology and its impact on societal development, economic growth, and international cooperation, highlighting the broader effects of space achievements on everyday life.
Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-up mission to Chandrayaan-2, aimed at achieving a successful soft landing on the Moon. The mission includes a lander and a rover designed to explore the lunar surface, following the previous mission’s partial success.
The primary goals of Chandrayaan-3 include demonstrating the capability for a soft landing, deploying the Pragyan rover for surface exploration, and conducting scientific studies of the Moon’s surface, including soil composition and seismic activity.
Chandrayaan-3 comprises three main components: the Lander module (LM), the Propulsion module (PM), and the Rover. Unlike Chandrayaan-2, this mission does not include an orbiter, as the orbiter from the previous mission continues to provide data relay and support.
The journey of India’s lunar exploration began with Chandrayaan-1 in October 2008, which discovered water molecules on the Moon. Chandrayaan-2 followed in July 2019 but faced a setback with the Vikram lander’s crash landing. Despite this, the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter remains operational and continues to provide valuable data.