Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi on Thursday wrote to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S Somnath congratulating him for Chandrayaan 3’s successful moon landing, and calling the historic feat a “magnificent achievement”.
“This is to let you know how thrilled I was by ISRO’s magnificent achievement last evening. It is a matter of great pride and excitement to all Indians, particularly the younger generation,” Sonia Gandhi wrote in her letter.
She added, “ISRO’s outstanding capabilities have been built up over decades. It has had remarkable leaders and a spirit of collective endeavour has always driven it. It is being anchored on self-reliance since the early sixties that has contributed to its great successes.”
“…I wish the entire ISRO fraternity all the very best and extend my warm greetings to each and every member of it on this momentous occasion,” the Congress leader wrote.
At 6.04 pm on Wednesday, India scripted history by becoming the first country to land the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole, and just the fourth nation to make a soft landing on the lunar surface ever. Before India, the Soviet Union, the United States, and China were the only three countries that have successfully carried out soft landings on the Moon.
The solar-powered rover Pragyan will now explore the lunar surface and transmit data to Earth in one lunar day which is equivalent to 14 Earth days.
As the Chandrayaan 3 lander module Vikram made a safe and soft landing on the Moon, ISRO chief S Somnath said, “India is on the Moon”.
Meanwhile, PM Modi who witnessed the historic feat from South Africa’s Johannesburg, said that it is a “historic day for India’s space sector”.
