BENGALURU: Soon after Vikram lander soft landed on the south pole of the Moon, making Chandrayaan-3 a success, the crowd went up in a loud cheer. Scores of people, including students, senior citizens, and some former ISRO scientists along with their family members, who had gathered at the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium in Bengaluru, were seen cheering in celebration, congratulating each other. The atmosphere was nothing less than a festival.
A retired ISRO scientist, who was part of the audience at the planetarium on Wednesday, said emotionally, “Remarkable moment for ISRO.” N S Bose Raju, Science and Technology Minister, who was also at the planetarium, watched the soft landing telecasted on the big screen, along with other citizens.
He said to TNIE, “The entire nation was looking forward to this historical moment, we are proud of our scientists who made this possible. We are mulling to come up with an action plan to imbibe scientific temperament among students at a young age.”
A proud Indian citizen who doesn’t wish to name himself. “This day belongs to each one of us. To witness this iconic moment, I took a day off from work. We did it! India did it!” he said. The enthusiastic school students, who had gathered to see the Chandrayaan-3 landing said it was a learning moment.
“Witnessing the Chandrayaan-3 landing on the Moon has heightened my interest in science technology and space exploration. It also highlights the hope that there is more out there in the Universe. Nothing is impossible to accomplish if we try hard enough,” said Sarika, a student from Canadian International School.
Science enthusiasts who had also come in large numbers termed it as a proud and emotional moment. They also look at the achievement as a benchmark for more miles to be achieved. Shalini, a science enthusiast, said, “We cried over the failure of Chandrayaan 2. Now tears of joy flowed upon the success of Chandrayaan-3.” She added that they are filled with immense pride for the scientists and the Prime Minister for his unwavering support and dedication. The air across the city, where ISRO headquarters is located, reverberated with the voice of people chanting “East or West, India is the best!”
The tech city also took to social media to post images of success and celebration.
Celebratory tweets of the day
Siddaramaiah , Karnataka CM
The constant efforts and decades of hard work of the country’s scientists have paid off today. The successful landing of Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander on the south pole of the Moon has left the world in awe of the Indian Space Research Organization’s achievement. It is a proud moment for every Indian. Congratulations to the scientists of the country for such an extraordinary achievement.
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Founder Biocon Ltd and Biocon Biologics
#Chandrayaan3 propels #India further into the cosmos, inspiring the dreams and #ambitions of every #Indian. This monumental achievement underscores the unwavering commitment of our brilliant #scientists @isro. I salute their indomitable spirit and innovative prowess!
#Chandrayaan3 #SpaceExploration #IndianPride
HD Deve Gowda -JD(S) leader
I join my fellow Indians in applauding @isro for #Chandrayaan3. ISRO is a world-class institution. It has made us proud for decades. Their monumental achievements have put us right at the top of the world. May God bless our nation and our scientists. #Chandrayaan3Landing
DK Shivakumar - Deputy CMWatching
#Chandrayaan3 making a soft but historical landing on the moon’s South Pole will forever be etched in my memory! This spectacular achievement has been made possible by the incredible hard work of our brilliant scientists, engineers and technicians at @ISRO! Our beloved nation has become the first country to land on the Moon’s South Pole, which makes this day even more special.
Sen Bill Nelson - NASA administrator
Congratulations @isro on your successful Chandrayaan-3 lunar South Pole landing! And congratulations to #India on being the 4th country to successfully soft-land a spacecraft on the Moon. We’re glad to be your partner on this mission!