THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the country celebrates its first National Space Day on August 23, Thiruvananthapuram also joins in with an array of programmes to celebrate the success of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission. It was on August 23 that the Vikram lander found its way to the Shiva Shakthi point on the south pole of the moon and the Pragyaan rover was deployed on the lunar surface.
To celebrate the occasion, the Indian Institute of Science, Education, and Research (IISER) is observing the week (from August 19 to 23) as Space Week with events ranging from expos by ISRO, lectures by ISRO scientists, competitions centred on the theme of ‘Touching Lives by Touching Moon: India’s Space Saga’, and visits by school children to the Crucible, the institute’s Science Activity Centre.
Earlier, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) held a special exhibition about space at Kanakakkunnu from August 16-18 titled ‘Ambili, Kalatheetamaaya Vismayacheppu’. Attractions at the expo included a special pavilion that showcased its evolution and association with human history. There was also a holographic simulation of the lunar landing of Chandrayaan-3 and a model of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft.
Also, on August 7, the IIST hosted an Open House to commemorate the National Space Day coming up on August 23. At the event, students from 17 schools and two colleges visited the institute to get a first-hand experience of the work being done at IIST.