Indian Space Research Organisation’s moon lander Chandrayaan-3 touched down on the Moon’s surface on Wednesday making India the fourth country in the world to achieve this feat and the first country to reach the Moon’s south pole. A wave of celebration has taken over the country as anxious scientists at ISRO and Indians across watched the Chandrayaan-3’s descent to the Moon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi who joined the rest of the country from South Africa, where he is currently for the 15th BRICS Summit, congratulated the ISRO team for the “historic” event said it sounded the bugle for a “developed India”.
The Chandrayaan-3 news adorned as the lead story on the websites of major foreign publications as well who called it a historic moment for the country.
‘Massive Moment For India’: BBC
Science Editor for the British Broadcasting Corporation, Rebecca Morelle called it a “massive moment for India” and “it bumps them up the space superpower list.” Recounting the crash of Chandrayaan-2 and Russia’s Luna 25, the UK-based news publication stated, “But it was second time lucky, and India now joins three other nations – the US, the former Soviet Union and China – who’ve successfully touched down on the lunar surface.”
“And they’re now ready to explore an area where no other spacecraft has been – the lunar south pole.”
‘Mission Could Cement India’s Status As A Global Superpower’: CNN
Reporting for the United Stated-based CNN, Jackie Wattles wrote that India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission “could cement India’s status as a global superpower in space.”
“Working alongside allies such as the United States and France, India is part of a second wave of emerging space powers. The country’s space program has become one of the world’s busiest in its development of exploratory space technology.”
‘Historic First’: The Guardian
“For India, the successful landing marks its emergence as a space power as the government looks to spur investment in private space launches and related satellite-based businesses,” wrote British newspaper The Guardian.
India Becomes Fourth Country To Successfully Land Spacecraft On Moon: AP
News agency Associated Press termed the mission an “eagerness” of the Modi government “to showcase India’s rising standing as a technology and space powerhouse.”
“With nuclear-armed India emerging as the world’s fifth-largest economy last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nationalist government is eager to showcase India’s rising standing as a technology and space powerhouse. A successful moon mission dovetails with Modi’s image of an ascendant India asserting its place among the global elite and would help bolster his popularity ahead of a crucial general election next year.”
‘Historic Leap’: Nikkei Asia
Japanese newspaper Nikkei called it a “hisotrical leap” making “the South Asian country only the fourth to successfully reach the lunar surface.”
“India’s milestone comes midway through a big year for the country on the international stage. The nation surpassed China as the world’s most populous earlier in 2023, and it is weeks away from hosting the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tuned in from South Africa, where he is attending a BRICS summit, to watch the landing with the crowd of nervous technicians at mission control.”